Aug 5 2007
In the fight against counterfeit goods, ContiTech has won a significant victory at court in Taiwan: In four instances, a Taiwanese trader and a general importer were told to pay damages. Grounds for this was the seizure of around 4,500 counterfeit V-ribbed belts and approximately 13,000 empty, fake ContiTech packages. “That’s an impressive amount indeed. This win sends out a grave signal to the market and to counterfeiters,” believes Jürgen Grefe, Area Sales Manager Asia for the Automotive Aftermarket at the ContiTech Power Transmission Group.
The counterfeit goods were discovered when one of ContiTech’s customers was offered the goods in Taiwan. In two instances under criminal law and in two instances under civil law, the courts ruled in favour of ContiTech and ordered the defendants to pay damages equal to the amount of the market value of the original goods. In addition, the trader and importer in question had to, as is customary in Taiwan following such court rulings, issue a public statement to the press in which they admitted to their misconduct. The manufacturer of the counterfeit products is, however, unknown. It is assumed that the goods, which came to Taiwan via Malaysia and Singapore, originate from China.
On the occasion of this case, ContiTech was once again keen to warn spare parts dealers and garages against counterfeit ContiTech drive belts of all classes. Generally, counterfeit belts do not demonstrate the same quality of material and workmanship as ContiTech drive belts. They consist of up to 60 percent less tensile members and also often contain materials that are no longer allowed in the EU, for example. The consequences of using a counterfeit timing belt can be severe: “If a belt snaps, this causes considerable damage to the engine,” explains Grefe. The use of counterfeits could cost a garage dearly.
“We will continue to pursue and act on any information regarding counterfeit products,” says Jürgen Grefe from ContiTech. “Whenever we find any counterfeit belts, vendors must be aware that the goods will be seized and legal action taken.”