Head-On Collision : Toyota’s Successful Antı-Counterfeıtıng Strategy

Originally published in the World Intellectual Property Review May/June 2012 Edition

Turkey is the second-largest counterfeit market in the world with $3 billion of turnover per year. Counterfeiters imitate a wide range of products from pharmaceuticals to handbags and clothes, cosmetics, electronic products, cigarettes and automobile spare parts. Surprisingly, 58% of Turkish consumers prefer counterfeit products, demonstrating the economic and political strength of counterfeiters. Sophisticated counterfeiters who manufacture high volumes of counterfeit products to be distributed internationally are familiar with Turkish laws, are organized, and use gaps in trademark laws to their advantage. Therefore, trademark owners should confront these counterfeiters with a long-term strategy instead of short-term or reactive quick solutions.