IPO raises fears of rise in counterfeit manufacturing in UK

The UK IPO has raised concerns that more and more counterfeiters are manufacturing from within the country.

Most counterfeit products sold in the UK are imported from overseas but the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is concerned the domestic manufacture of fake goods is on the rise. The theory is based on an uptick in the UK seizures of labels intended for counterfeit products.

In its 2011 crime report the IPO wrote: "Intelligence and seizures suggest that...labels and other separate parts for domestic manufacture of counterfeit goods are being imported into the UK from countries such as China, India, Pakistan and Turkey."

Seizures of blank goods, counterfeit labels and badges, as well as production machinery like sewing machines and printing presses, in raids in Manchester and Leicester support the IPO’s theory.

The raids in Manchester and Leicester were described as recent but evidence of large-scale counterfeiting in the UK has existed for years. In 2009 DVD burners capable of producing 25,000 disks per day were seized in raids on sites in Milton Keynes.