Romania News Archives
January 27, 2012
Romanian Customs Seize Fake Apparel, Footwear, Toys
In the period December 9, 2011 – January 11, 2012, the Romanian customs officials seized a considerable amount of goods believed to be counterfeit, worth more than EUR 1 million (USD 1.3 million).
The seizures were made at the port of Constanta, eastern Romania, the town of Bechet, southern Romania and the capital of Bucharest.
The seized goods include:
- 31,464 pieces of clothing, footwear and accessories bearing the Dolce & Gabbana, Converse All Star, Puma, Adidas, Nike, Armani, Versace, Prada, Burberry and Hermes marks;
- 13,225 toys bearing the Disney and Transformers marks;
- 4,500 watches bearing the Diesel mark;
- An unidentified number of wallets bearing the Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Adidas marks, children’s socks bearing the Disney mark, bags bearing the Burberry mark and hairstylers bearing the Instyler mark.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
December 27, 2011
Romanian Customs Seize Counterfeit Toys, Cologne Sets, Apparel
The Romanian customs officials at the port of Constanta, southeastern Romania, seized a considerable quantity of goods believed to be counterfeit during their regular controls in November and December.
In the period November 21-24, the officials seized 44,040 toys bearing the Harley Davidson, YoYo and Transformers marks, 4,828 puzzles bearing the Disney mark and 29,760 cologne sets bearing the Boss and Chanel marks. The goods, worth approximately EUR 1,830,000 (USD 2,449,360), were discovered in containers originating in China and were intended for the Romanian and Ukrainian markets.
On November 29, the officials seized 197 PVC tablecloth rolls bearing the Disney mark, 83,000 bags bearing the Smiley mark and 3,120 men’s tracksuits bearing the Formula 1 mark. The goods, worth approximately EUR 112,000 (USD 149,906), were discovered in containers originating in China and were intended for the Romanian market.
On December 7, the officials seized an undisclosed number of toys bearing the Monopoly, Bakugan, Disney, BMW, Audi and Toyota marks, as well as backpacks bearing the Adidas mark and motor oil bearing the Ford mark. The goods, worth approximately EUR 90,000 (USD 120,442), were discovered in containers originating in China and the United States and were intended for the Romanian market.
For more information, please contact Sonia Vasile-Bugarin at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
November 29, 2011
Romanian Customs Seize Adidas, DC Polo, UGG, Lego, Puma, Nike Counterfeits
The Romanian customs officials seized a considerable quantity of goods believed to be counterfeit during their regular controls at the beginning of this month.
On November 2, the officials seized 9,920 clothing items and 1,051 pairs of shoes bearing the marks of Adidas, Puma, Nike and Lacoste. The goods were discovered in a storehouse in the capital of Bucharest and are worth approximately EUR 100,000 (USD 135,683).
On November 3, the officials at the port of Constanta, southeastern Romania, seized 6,192 pieces of underwear bearing the logo DC Polo, 1,600 pairs of boots bearing the UGG mark and 114 toys bearing the mark of Lego. The goods, worth approximately EUR 213,000 (USD 289,000), were discovered in a container originating in China and were intended for the Romanian and Moldovan markets.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
October 28, 2011
Romanian Copyright Office Sets Fees for Broadcasting Ambient Music
The Romanian Copyright Office (ORDA) has recently issued a decision according to which public catering establishments and commercial entities, such as bars, restaurants, hotels, casinos, supermarkets, museums and airports, are obligated to pay fees for broadcasting music for ambient purposes at their premises. The decision entered into force on October 7, 2011.
The mentioned establishments are obligated to obtain a nonexclusive license from the Union of Composers and Musicologists in Romania – Copyright Association (UCMR - ADA) and pay the royalties provided for in the decision issued by ORDA. For example, five-star hotels have to pay the fee of approximately EUR 1.2 (USD 1.7) per room per month.
The decision was issued by ORDA further to a request formulated by UCMR – ADA.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian legal news portal Infolegal.ro
Romanian Customs Seize Adidas, Ferrari, Stihl, Puma, Nike Counterfeits
On September 8 and October 4, 2011, the Romanian customs officials seized a considerable quantity of goods believed to be counterfeit.
On September 8, the customs officials at the port of Constanta, eastern Romania, seized 2,580 pairs of sweatpants bearing the mark of Adidas, 2,100 pairs of gloves bearing the mark of Ferrari and 980 chainsaw blades bearing the mark of Stihl. The goods, worth approximately EUR 232,000 (USD 314,149), were discovered in three containers originating in China, and were intended for three commercial entities in the capital of Bucharest and the Ilfov County, which surrounds Bucharest.
On October 4, the customs officials from the city of Braila, eastern Romania, seized 200 clothing articles bearing the logos of Adidas, Puma and Nike. The goods were found in a store in Braila and are worth approximately EUR 11,600 (USD 16,000).
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
Romanian Customs Participate in International Anti-Counterfeiting Operation
From September 20-27, 2011, the Romanian customs authorities participated in an international operation Pangea IV, which targeted the online sale of counterfeit and otherwise illegal medicine.
The operation was coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), in cooperation with the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT) and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
The authorities from 81 countries took part in the operation, the aim of which was to disrupt the online criminal networks and activities connected with the sale of illegal medicine and to raise public awareness about the health risks involved in purchasing medicine online.
During the operation, 55 people were arrested, 13,495 websites closed, 45,419 medicine packages inspected, 7,901 packages confiscated, 2,422,636 drugs seized, including 304 tablets by the Romanian customs officials.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
August 30, 2011
Romanian Customs Seize Disney, Vogue, Kenzo Counterfeits
On July 19 and August 2, 2011, the Romanian customs officials at the port of Constanta, eastern Romania, seized clothing articles and toys believed to be counterfeit.
On July 19, the officials seized 426 clothing articles worth EUR 15,000 (USD 21,565) bearing the marks of Vogue and Kenzo. The goods where discovered in a container originating in China and intended for a shop in Bucharest, Romania.
On August 2, the officials seized 2,112 toys bearing the mark My Little Pony and 384 toys bearing the mark Disney, worth approximately EUR 48,000 (USD 69,010). The goods were found in a container originating in China and intended for a shop in Ukraine.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
July 25, 2011
Romanian Customs Seize Nescafe, Polo, Adidas, Lacoste, Reebok Counterfeits
During regular controls at Romania’s border crossings in the period June 9-29, the customs officials seized considerable quantities of goods bearing well-known brand names, suspected of being counterfeit.
On June 9, the officials at the port of Constanta, eastern Romania, seized 9,200 pairs of shorts bearing the mark of Quiksilver and 14,640 ceramic mugs bearing the mark of Nescafe worth approximately EUR 335,000 (USD 479,844). The goods were seized in two containers, originating in China and Vietnam.
On June 10, the officials at the port of Constanta seized 4,416 clothing articles, worth approximately EUR 49,000 (USD 70,186). The goods consisted of T-shirts, socks, jackets, shirts, pants, head caps and sweatshirts bearing the marks of Gap, Calvin Klein, The North Face, Polo, Adidas, Reebok and Pierre Cardin. They were seized in two containers originating in India and Miami, the United States.
On June 14, the customs officials from the town of Giurgiu, southern Romania, seized 445 T-shirts bearing the marks of Adidas, Lacoste and Tommy Hilfiger, and 246 bottles of perfume bearing the marks of Christian Dior, Nina Ricci and Hugo Boss. The goods worth approximately EUR 6,829 (USD 9,781) were seized in a truck traveling from Turkey to Romania.
On June 24, the officials in Giurgiu seized 2,000 perfume bottles bearing the logos of Burberry, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Hugo Boss and Paco Rabanne, worth approximately EUR 4,146 (USD 5,938). The goods were seized in a truck traveling from Turkey to Romania.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
June 21, 2011
Romanian Customs Seize Disney, Adidas, Nike, Gucci Counterfeits
During regular controls in the period May 6-27, 2011, the Romanian customs officials seized a considerable quantity of goods bearing well-known brand names, suspected of being counterfeit.
On May 6, 2011, the officials at the port of Constanta, eastern Romania, seized 40,440 pairs of children’s shoes bearing the mark of Disney. The shoes are worth approximately EUR 688,000 (USD 1,003,060) and were discovered in a container originating in China. On the same day, the officials seized 4,900 children’s shoes bearing the mark of Nike and 14,064 flip-flops bearing the mark of Adidas, worth approximately EUR 393,000 (USD 572,970). The goods were found in a container originating in China and were intended for the Romanian market.
On May 9, 2011, the officials at the port of Constanta seized 1,600 wallets bearing the logo of Nike, worth approximately EUR 27,000 (USD 39,364). The wallets were discovered in a container originating in China and were intended for the Romanian market.
On May 20, 2011, the officials from the city of Craiova, southern Romania, seized 549 cosmetic products bearing the marks of Davidoff, Kenzo, Calvin Klein, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hugo Boss, Azzaro, Clinique, Bvlgari and Chanel and 224 purses and belts bearing the marks of Louis Vuitton, D&G, Gucci, Hugo Boss and Prada. The goods were seized in a truck traveling from Greece to Romania and are worth approximately EUR 11,097 (USD 16,178).
On May 21, 2011, the officials from the town of Oancea, eastern Romania, seized 240 wrist watches bearing the logo Atlantic, 13 wrist-watch bracelets bearing the mark Cartier, 170 wrist-watch batteries bearing the mark of Maxell, and 150 wrist-watch batteries bearing the mark of Sony. The goods were discovered in a bus traveling from Moldova to Turkey.
On May 27, 2011, the officials at the port of Constanta seized 2,040 SpongeBob toys, 14,090 Disney toys, 5,760 Disney books and 2,640 Disney puzzles. The goods were discovered in a container originating in China and are worth approximately EUR 120,000 (USD 174,953).
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
May 26, 2011
Romanian Customs Seize Calvin Klein, Adidas, Gap, Hello Kitty Counterfeits
During regular controls in the period April 12 – May 4, 2011, the Romanian customs officials at the port of Constanta, eastern Romania, seized a considerable quantity of goods believed to be counterfeit.
On April 12, the officials seized 1,352 T-shirts, blouses and underwear articles bearing the marks of Calvin Klein, Fila, D&G and Diesel. The goods worth approximately EUR 42,100 (USD 60,490) were discovered in a container originating in India.
On April 13, the officials seized 70,000 clothing articles, bearing the logo Adidas. The goods, worth approximately EUR 1,800,000 (USD 2,586,290), were found in a container originating in China and intended for the Ukrainian market.
On April 18, the officials discovered fake clothing articles in a container originating in Bangladesh and intended for the Romanian market. The seizure consisted of 750 pairs of pants bearing the logo Gap, 20 pairs of pants bearing the logo Calvin Klein and 239 T-shirts bearing the logo Michelin, all worth approximately EUR 99,000 (USD 142,246).
On April 20, the customs officials seized 57,000 CDs bearing the Hello Kitty mark, worth approximately EUR 57,000 (USD 81,899). The goods were discovered in a container originating in China and intended for the Romanian market.
On April 27, the customs officials seized 7,500 pairs of shoes bearing the Disney and Hannah Montana marks, worth approximately EUR 188,000 (USD 270,124), 310 trolley bags bearing the Burberry logo, worth approximately EUR 25,000 (USD 35,920) and 4,776 pairs of children’s shoes bearing the marks Baby Pooh and Hello Kitty, worth approximately EUR 77,000 (USD 110,636). The goods were seized in containers originating in China and were intended for the Romanian and Bulgarian markets.
On April 28, the officials seized 126 pairs of sneakers and 5,300 caps bearing the marks of Mickey Mouse, Ferrari, Polo Ralph Lauren, Lacoste and Quiksilver. The goods, worth approximately EUR 79,000 (USD 113,510), were seized in two containers originating in China and were intended for the Romanian and Moldovan markets.
On May 2, the officials seized 700 perfume sets bearing the mark Carolina Herrera 212 MEN, 280 cosmetic sets bearing the mark Hugo Boss and 750 balls bearing the logo Barcelona. The goods were seized in two containers originating in China and are worth approximately EUR 81,000 (USD 116,383).
On May 4, the officials seized 510 wallets bearing the marks of Armani, Levi’s and Boss. The goods were seized in a container originating in China and are worth approximately EUR 23,000 (USD 33,047).
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
April 27, 2011
Romanian Customs Seize Counterfeit Sneakers, Perfumes, Watches, Cigarettes
During regular controls at Romania’s border crossings in the period March 12 – April 3, 2011, the customs officials seized considerable quantities of goods bearing well-known brand names, suspected of being counterfeit.
On March 12, the customs officials in the town of Giurgiu, southern Romania, seized 122 pairs of athletic shoes worth approximately EUR 4,700 (USD 6,721). The goods, bearing the brands of Adidas and Nike, were seized in a truck traveling from Turkey to Romania.
On March 17, the customs officials from Giurgiu seized 75 pairs of athletic shoes and 534 perfume bottles worth approximately EUR 4,337 (USD 6,202). The products bearing the labels of Adidas, Paco Rabanne, Armani Code, Calvin Klein, Kenzo Amour, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hugo Boss, Acqua Di Gio, Bulgari and Carolina Herrera, were intended for the Romanian market and seized in a truck traveling from Turkey to Romania.
On March 17, the customs officials from the city of Galati, eastern Romania, seized 162 clothing articles worth approximately EUR 111,000 (USD 158,733) bearing the marks of Louis Vuitton, Diesel, Calvin Klein, Adidas, Nike, Lacoste, Antonio Biaggi, Hugo Boss, Chanel, Armani, Hello Kitty, Prada, Miu Miu, Chloe, Versace, Hublot, Montblanc and D&G.
On March 21, the customs officials from Constanta Sud, eastern Romania, seized 1,980 T-shirts bearing the Disney logo, worth approximately EUR 49,500 (USD 70,786). The goods were found in a container arriving from China.
On March 22, the officials from Constanta Sud seized 640 pairs of shoes with the Burberry logo, worth approximately EUR 96,000 (USD 137,283). The shoes were discovered in a container originating in China.
On March 23, 2011, the officials from the capital of Bucharest seized 3,006 bottles of perfume, 3,347 cosmetic products and 100 wrist watches worth approximately EUR 49,879 (USD 71,328), bearing the marks of D&G, Versace, Armani, Bulgari, Thierry Mugler, Lacoste, Joop, Lancome, Chanel, Loreal, D&G, Rolex and Patek Philippe.
On March 24, the officials from Constanta Sud seized 999,919 packets of cigarettes, worth approximately EUR 4,000,000 (USD 5,720,120), in two containers originating in Turkey. The packets were labeled with the logos of Ashima, Toros 2005 and Marble.
On April 1, the officials from Constanta Sud seized 144,372 packets of cigarettes bearing the marks of Rothmans, Dunhill, Eve, More, Marlboro, LM, Muratti, Parliament and Winston. The goods, worth approximately EUR 577,000 (USD 825,127), were seized in a container originating in Egypt and intended for the Romanian market.
On April 3, 2011, the officials from the town of Bechet, southern Romania, seized 3,807 bottles of perfume bearing the marks of Davidoff, Kenzo, Calvin Klein, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hugo Boss, Azzaro and Bulgari. The goods, worth EUR 230,000 (USD 328,907), were found in a truck traveling from Bulgaria to Poland.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
March 24, 2011
Romanian Customs Seize Adidas, Puma, Nike, Gucci Counterfeits
During regular controls at Romania’s border crossings in the period February 2 – March 10, 2011, the customs officials seized considerable quantities of goods bearing well-known brand names, suspected of being counterfeit.
In the period February 2-8, the customs officials in the town of Giurgiu, southern Romania, seized textile articles, shoes and bottles of perfume, worth approximately EUR 47,758 (USD 66,379).
On February 10, the customs officials at the port of Constanta Sud, eastern Romania, seized 1,794 pairs of shoes, intended for the Romanian market, worth approximately EUR 90,000 (USD 125,093).
On February 16, the officials from Giurgiu seized 846 bottles of perfume, as well as clothing articles and accessories, worth approximately EUR 4,873 (USD 6,773). The goods were seized in a truck traveling from Turkey to Romania.
On February 18, the officials from Giurgiu seized 2,174 textile articles, worth approximately EUR 41,825 (USD 58,133). The goods were also found in a truck traveling from Turkey to Romania.
On February 21, the customs officials from Constanta Sud seized 9,408 pairs of shoes, worth approximately EUR 132,000 (USD 183,469). The shoes were discovered in a container originating in China and were intended for the Moldovan market.
On February 27, 2011, the officials from Giurgiu seized 662 clothing articles, shoes and bags, worth approximately EUR 15,735 (USD 21,869), bearing the marks of Adidas, Hugo Boss, Nike, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce&Gabbana. The goods were seized in a truck traveling from Turkey to Romania.
On March 1, the officials from Constanta Sud seized 10,000 Hannah Montana caps, worth approximately EUR 49,011 (USD 68,121). The caps were seized in a container originating in China and intended for the Romanian market.
On March 8, the officials from the town of Craiova, southern Romania, seized sweat suits and vests bearing the marks of Adidas and Puma, while the officials from Constanta Sud seized 583 pairs of shoes bearing the logos of Adidas and Kappa, 2,400 toys bearing the marks of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Bakugan and Hannah Montana, and 390 balls bearing the logo Winnie the Pooh. The goods were seized in containers originating in China and intended for the Moldovan and Romanian markets.
On March 10, 2011, the officials from Constanta Sud seized EUR 232,558 (USD 323,237) worth of goods suspected of being counterfeit. The seizure consisted of 35,928 balls and toys, bearing the marks of Barbie, Winx Club, Burberry, Monopoly, Disney, Winnie the Pooh, Hannah Montana, Bakugan and F.C. Barcelona. The goods were found in two containers originating in China and intended for the Romanian market.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
January 20, 2011
Romanian Customs Seize EUR 485,000 Worth of Counterfeits
During regular controls on December 2, 2010, the Romanian customs officials at the port of Constanta Sud, eastern Romania, seized a considerable quantity of athletic goods suspected of being counterfeit, worth EUR 243,000 (USD 313,728).
On December 7, 2010, the customs officials at the same port seized 9,500 perfume bottles suspected of being counterfeit, worth approximately EUR 242,000 (USD 312,437).
In both instances the goods were seized on ships traveling from Dubai to Ukraine.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian business news portal Bursa.ro
December 21, 2010
Romanian Customs Seize Counterfeit Apparel, Shoes, Perfumes
During regular customs controls in the period between November 16 and December 6, 2010, the Romanian customs officials in the town of Giurgiu, southern Romania, seized a considerable quantity of goods suspected of being counterfeit, bearing the labels of well-known brands, worth approximately EUR 71,000 (USD 95,000).
On November 16, the officials seized 1,678 clothing articles (jeans, sweaters and blouses) bearing the marks of Lacoste, Chanel, Adidas, Burberry, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Diesel, Bulgari and Gucci. The products were seized in three trucks, traveling from Turkey to Ukraine.
On November 24, the officials seized 150 clothing articles and shoes, bearing the labels of Nike, Cacharel and Pierre Cardin. The goods were discovered in a truck traveling from Turkey to Romania.
On December 3, the officials seized 540 bottles of perfume bearing the marks of Paco Rabanne, Armani, Aqua Di Gio, Chanel, Dior, Hugo Boss, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Lacoste.
On December 5, the officials seized 445 clothing articles bearing the marks of Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Gucci, Chanel and Versace. The goods were seized in a truck with Turkish license plates.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
November 29, 2010
Romanian Customs Seize Adidas, Nike, Puma, Armani Counterfeits
The Romanian customs officials have recently seized a considerable quantity of goods suspected of being counterfeit, bearing the labels of well-known brands, worth approximately EUR 16,500 (USD 22,500).
On October 8, 2010, the customs officials from the city Galati, eastern Romania, seized 448 clothing articles (sweat suits, T-shirts, jackets, caps and blouses) and 43 pairs of shoes, bearing the marks of Adidas, Nike, Puma, D&G and Armani. The products were manufactured in Turkey and were seized in a commercial center in Galati.
On November 5, 2010, the customs officials from Giurgiu, southern Romania, seized approximately 17 liters of perfume, 122 pairs of shoes and 113 textile articles bearing the labels of various, unspecified brands. The goods were discovered in two trucks traveling from Turkey to Romania.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
Romania Conference Raises Alarm on Fake Medicine Trade
More than 120 counterfeit medicines experts from Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine and Slovakia gathered on October 20-21, 2010 in Bucharest, Romania to increase efforts in the fight against the dangerous trade of fake medicines estimated to be worth EUR 54 billion (USD 74 billion) worldwide in 2010.
The specialists said that Eastern Europe is one of the major routes in the fake medicines trade, the same holding true for heroin and other illegal drugs. The experts, however, stressed that most countries in the region have adopted stricter regulations during the recent years and stated that in Romania, fake drugs smugglers have for the first time been sentenced to prison this year.
The experts raised concerns about the proliferation of fake drugs on the Internet, 50 percent of which are counterfeit, according to the World Health Organization. Some of these drugs contain no active ingredients, some contain 8,000 times the required amount, and some contain life-threatening substances such as arsenic, lead-based paint, brick dust or floor wax.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Romania Fights Software Piracy
According to the Business Software Alliance (BSA) recently published press release, Romanian authorities are investigating three major cases of unlicensed software use by large and mid-sized companies in Romania.
The companies mentioned in the press release possessed a total of EUR 196,000 (USD 264,227) worth of unlicensed software by major software producers, who are also BSA members. Two of the companies inspected, one from western and the other from eastern Romania, specialize in architecture, design and technical consultancy. They were found to be using EUR 130,000 (USD 175,252) and EUR 26,000 (USD 35,050) worth of unlicensed software respectively.
Additionally, a cluster of stationery companies is under investigation for using EUR 40,000 (USD 53,923) worth of unlicensed software.
In 2010, Romanian authorities carried out over 300 inspections confiscating more than 21,000 counterfeit software disks.
Even though most of the cases are still ongoing, the Romanian courts have pronounced a total of 28 verdicts in sofware copyright infringement cases in 2010. In October 2010, the Romanian Court of Appeal pronounced its first criminal sentence in a Torrent case. The owner of the Torrent website www.kartel.ro was sentenced to six months in prison and remuneration of damages to several rights owners. The website was closed down in 2007, but it has taken three years for the case to conclude.
The BSA is a nonprofit trade association representing some of the world’s leading software makers such as Adobe Systems, Apple Inc., Dell, IBM and Microsoft.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi or Masa Lopicic.
Source: Business Software Alliance
October 20, 2010
Romanian Customs Seize Converse, Sony Counterfeits
The Romanian customs officials have recently seized a considerable quantity of goods suspected of being counterfeit, bearing the labels of well-known brands, worth approximately EUR 438,000 (USD 607,944).
On September 6, 2010, the customs officials in the cities Craiova and Bechet, southern Romania, seized 4,292 pairs of sneakers bearing the mark of Converse, worth EUR 215,000 (USD 298,420). The goods were discovered in a truck traveling from Greece to Holland.
On October 1, 2010, the customs officials in the same two cities seized 1,000 PlayStation 3 consoles, bearing the mark Sony, worth approximately EUR 223,000 (USD 309,524). The products were discovered in a truck traveling from Bulgaria to Belgium.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
September 21, 2010
Romanian Customs Seize Coca Cola, Gucci, Calvin Klein Counterfeits
During regular controls at Romania’s border crossings in the period between August 26 and September 3, 2010, the customs officials seized a considerable quantity of goods bearing the labels of well-known brands, believed to be counterfeit, worth approximately EUR 304,000 (USD 388,000).
On August 26, the customs officials at the port of Constanta, on the western coast of the Black Sea, seized 3,025 T-shirts, 1,200 pairs of women’s boots, 330 men’s parkas, 1,200 pieces of underwear and 255 women’s lingerie pieces, bearing the marks of Disney, Coca Cola, Gucci, Burberry, G-Star, D&G and Calvin Klein. The goods were discovered in a container originating in China and intended for companies in Romania and Moldova.
On September 3, the customs inspectors in Giurgiu, southern Romania, seized 126 perfume bottles and 260 clothing articles bearing the marks of Hugo Boss and Giorgio Armani. The goods were discovered in a bus traveling from Turkey to Romania.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
August 24, 2010
Romanian Customs Seize Chanel, Prada, Puma, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Adidas Counterfeits
During regular controls in the period between July 8 and August 17, 2010, the Romanian customs officials seized a considerable quantity of goods believed to be counterfeit, bearing the labels of well-known brands, worth over EUR 600,000 (USD 761,000).
On July 8, the customs officials at the port of Constanta, on the western coast of the Black Sea, seized 432 pairs of shoes and 1,293 backpacks, bearing the marks of Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Prada and Hannah Montana. The goods, discovered in containers originating in China, intended for companies in Hungary and Bulgaria, were worth EUR 97,185 (USD 123,395).
On July 12, the officials at the same port seized 1,152 pairs of shoes, 1,684 pairs of pants and 1,951 baby clothes bearing the logos of Puma, Gucci, Hello Kitty, worth approximately EUR 211,400 (USD 268,545).
Moreover, on August 17, the officials seized 5,300 pairs of pants bearing the logo of Adidas worth approximately EUR 238,500 (USD 302,971). The goods were discovered in containers originating in China, intended for a company in Moldova.
On July 26, the customs officials seized a considerable quantity of counterfeit goods at a shopping center in Bucharest. They seized more than 2,000 clothing articles (blouses, T-shirts, sweatshirts, pants and shorts) bearing the logo of Adidas, Nike, Puma, Lacoste, Armani, Dolce & Gabanna, 551 sneakers bearing the marks of Nike, Adidas, Puma and Lacoste, and 931 perfume bottles, bearing the marks of Dolce & Gabanna, Hugo Boss, Kenzo, Lancome, Guess, Armani and Gucci.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
July 21, 2010
Romanian Customs Seize Puma, Adidas, Nike, Disney Counterfeits
During regular controls in the period between June 9 and July 2, 2010, the Romanian customs officials seized a considerable quantity of goods believed to be counterfeit, bearing the labels of well-known brands, worth approximately EUR 1,250,000 (USD 1,600,000).
On June 9, 2010, the customs inspectors in Giurgiu, southern Romania, seized 436 clothing articles bearing the marks of Puma and Adidas, worth EUR 5,660 (USD 7,200).
On June 14, 2010, the officials in Bechet, southern Romania, seized 176 sportswear articles and 820 pairs of sneakers, bearing the marks of Reebok, Adidas and Puma, worth EUR 35,000 (USD 45,000).
Several seizures occurred at the port of Constanta, on the western coast of the Black Sea, between June 21 and July 1, 2010:
On June 21, the officials seized 1,580 caps, 4,200 sneakers, 3,365 pens, 967 inflatable chairs, bearing the logos of Quiksilver, Burberry, Hello Kitty, Mickey Mouse, Disney, Playboy and others, worth approximately EUR 675,000 (USD 863,000).
On June 28, the officials seized 862 parkas, 6,155 T-shirts and 2,218 caps bearing the marks of Reebok and Nike. The goods, worth approximately EUR 180,000 (USD 230,000), were discovered in containers originating in China and the United States.
On July 1, the officials seized 3,242 toys bearing the logo of Bakugan, 1,218 clogs bearing the logo Crocs and 1,098,240 tampons bearing the mark Always, worth approximately EUR 340,000 (USD 435,000).
Moreover, on July 2, the customs inspectors in Calafat, also in the south of Romania, seized 549 clothing articles bearing the marks of Adidas, Puma and Nike, worth approximately EUR 8,655 (USD 11,000).
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
June 23, 2010
Romanian Customs Seize Adidas, Nike, Armani Counterfeits
During regular controls in the period between May 21 and June 3, 2010, the Romanian customs officials seized a considerable quantity of goods believed to be counterfeit, bearing well-known brand labels, worth approximately EUR 1,000,000 (USD 1,225,797).
On May 21, the customs officials in collaboration with members of the police ran a regular control at a commercial center in Bucharest, the outcome of which was the seizure of 15,885 items believed to be counterfeit, including 13,347 clothing articles bearing the marks of Adidas, Nike, Puma, Armani, Dolce&Gabbana, Lacoste, 1,068 pairs of sneakers bearing the marks of Adidas, Nike and Puma, 1,466 perfumes and cosmetic products bearing the marks of Dior, Dolce&Gabanna, Hugo Boss, Kenzo, Lancome, Guess, Armani and four wristwatches bearing the marks of D&G, Armani, Guess and Burberry.
On the same day, the customs inspectors at the port of Constanta, on the western coast of the Black Sea, seized 20,728 items believed to be counterfeit, including games and toys such as electric motorcycles, dolls, ponies, puzzles, stickers, drums, playing cards, plastic laptops, minicomputers and plastic football game sets, bearing the logos of Disney, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, World Cup, Hannah Montana, Winnie the Pooh and Hello Kitty.
On May 26, the officials at the port of Constanta seized 3,258 pairs of shoes and 2,160 cardboard toys bearing the marks of Louis Vuitton and Disney. On May 28, the officials seized 9,120 pairs of clogs bearing the logo Crocs. Various cardboard and plastic toys bearing the marks of Hannah Montana and Bakugan were seized on June 1, and 8,160 clothing items such as blouses, cotton dresses and hooded T-shirts, bearing the mark of Hannah Montana were seized on June 3.
The goods were discovered in containers originating in China and intended for companies in Romania.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
May 24, 2010
Romanian Customs Detain Counterfeit Sneakers, Apparel, Cosmetics
During regular customs controls in the period between May 14 and May 18, 2010, the Romanian officials seized a considerable quantity of goods believed to be counterfeit, bearing well-known brand labels.
On May 14, 2010, the officials at the port of Constanta, on the western coast of the Black Sea, seized 3,000 pairs of sneakers worth approximately EUR 70,000 (USD 87,000). The sneakers, bearing the mark Sprndi, were discovered in containers originating in China and were intended for a company in Romania. The goods are believed to infringe the intellectual property rights of the Sprandi trademark owner.
On the same day, the customs inspectors in the town of Ramnicu Valcea, central Romania, seized items believed to be counterfeit worth approximately EUR 2,700 (USD 3,350). The goods included 107 T-shirts, 33 tracksuits, 28 sweatpants and 15 pairs of sneakers bearing the marks of Nike, Puma, Adidas, Dolce&Gabbana and Emporio Armani.
On May 18, 2010, another seizure occurred at the port of Constanta, involving 39,346 counterfeit items (mostly towels, cosmetics and baby strollers), worth approximately EUR 497,000 (USD 617,000). The goods bore the logos of Hannah Montana, Winnie the Pooh, Hello Kitty, Bakugan, Ferrari, Barcelona, Manchester, 212 Men, L’Oreal, Lancome, Versace, Chanel, Clinique, and were discovered in a container originating in China and intended for companies in Romania and Bulgaria.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
In Romania All Pending Trademark Applications Now Online
On May 10, 2010 the Law 66/2010 amending the Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications entered into force in Romania. Pursuant to the new law, the Romanian Trademarks and Patents Office (PTO) published all pending trademark applications on its online database.
The term pending applications refers to applications for which a definite refusal or registration decision has not been made by the PTO.
All interested parties may formulate observations on absolute grounds or file oppositions on relative grounds against the published applications within two months from publication.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi at our Romania office.
April 26, 2010
New Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications to Enter into Force in Romania
The Law 66/2010 amending the current Romanian Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications will enter into force in Romania on May 09, 2010. The new law introduces important changes in terminology, improved registration procedure for national applications, and it ensures the existence of a legal framework for the prosecution of European Union community trademarks.
The most important amendment to the current law is the waiver of the examination on relative grounds, leaving it to the interested parties to file an opposition. Interested parties can submit observations on absolute grounds and formulate opposition on relative grounds within two months from the publication in the online database of Romania’s Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). While the current law provides a three-month term within which an applicant may respond to an opposition, under the new law, an applicant will have only 30 days to reply to the opposition notice.
The new legal provisions broaden the category of signs that can be registered as trademarks by introducing “holograms” and “sound marks.”
The new law also incorporates relevant EU provisions that were previously not included in the national legislation; namely, it includes the Directive 2008/95/EC. Thus, a national application will be rejected if it is identical or similar to a prior community registration, even if it is filed for the goods and services that are different from the goods and services of the prior mark. A community registration can be converted into a national one upon the payment of examination fees for national applications.
Furthermore, the applications for community registrations filed with the Romanian PTO must be forwarded to the Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market (OHIM) within two weeks from the payment of the filing fee for Romanian applications.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi at our Romania office.
Source: Avocatnet.ro
Romania Issues New Regulations on Supplementary Protection for Medicinal and Plant Protection Products
On March 31, 2010, the Romanian PTO issued Regulation No. 111, which adds two new points to art. 6 of Regulation No. 146 on Supplementary Protection Certificates for Medicinal and Plant Protection Products from December 28, 2006.
The newly added point 6 provides that the official fee for the examination of a request for a 6-month extension of the supplementary protection certificate (SPC) for medicinal products for pediatric use is EUR 500 (USD 682), the same as for the examination of a request for granting an SPC for other medicinal products.
The newly added point 7 provides that the official fee for the 6-month extension of an SPC for medicinal products for pediatric use, as per the provisions of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1768/92 with further amendments, is EUR 1,400 (USD 1,913).
On the same date, March 31, 2010, the Romanian PTO issued Regulation No. 112, which establishes the standard form to be used for requesting the extension of an SPC for medicinal products for pediatric use.
These two new regulations establish formal rules for practices regarding the SPCs that were not formerly regulated by the PTO.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian PTO
Romania Customs Seize EUR 3,434,733 Worth of Counterfeit Goods
During regular controls between March 1 and March 31, 2010, the customs officials at Romania’s port of Constanta, on the western coast of the Black Sea, seized items bearing top brand names, believed to be counterfeit, worth approximately EUR 3,434,733 (USD 4,671,952).
The seized goods include 9,500 pairs of shoes, 16,188 clothing items (jackets, caps, T-shirts), 17,050 sportswear items (shorts and T-shirts), 7,488 pairs of leggings, 8,000 leather articles (bags, wallets, key chains), 13,790 balls, 214 printer cartridges, 416 furniture parts and 10,000 zippers, bearing the marks of Gucci, Y-3, Lotto, Fendi, D&G, Armani, FIFA World Cup, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona, Adidas, Ferrari, BMW, Lexmark, Hewlett-Packard and Septwolves.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu at our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
March 30, 2010
Romania Ratifies Amendments to Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications
On March 17, 2010, the Romanian parliament adopted the Bill of Amendments to the Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications.
The president ratified the amendments to the Law on March 29, and the Law is to be published in the Official Gazette by the end of April.
More details are to follow in the next issue.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu in our Romania office.
Romanian Rock Band Legal Case Could Set Important Precedent
The Romanian rock band Vama has recently lost the legal battle against another rock band Trupa Veche over copyright infringement involving the songs composed during the existence of their common former band Vama Veche. This is the first time a Romanian court has ruled on an issue involving a copyright infringement between two rock bands. It is expected that this case will form an important precedent in Romania’s copyright practice.
The lawsuit began in December 2006, when three members of Trupa Veche sued Vama for performing their former band’s songs on tour without their approval.
On March 11, 2010, the Romanian Supreme Court ruled against Vama for breaching the copyright law, ordered them to pay EUR 15,000 (USD 20,674) in damages and legal costs, and forbid them to perform the Vama Veche songs without the authors’ consent.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu in our Romania office.
Source: Libertatea.ro
Number of Seized Counterfeit Goods in Romania Triples in 2009 Compared to 2008
The Romanian Customs have reported that the number and the value of seized counterfeit goods greatly increased in 2009 compared to 2008 – 70,076,524 items worth EUR 91,230,000 (USD 125,743,216) were confiscated in 2009 compared to 21,411,728 items worth EUR 41,686,277 (USD 57,471,797) the year before.
The majority of confiscated items originated in China, Turkey, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Cigarettes were the most prevalent fake goods seized in 2009 (67,564,860 pieces), followed by clothing (1,792,589 items) and cigarette lighters (298,000 items).
It has been noted, however, that certain counterfeit items were less frequently seized in 2009 than in 2008. For instance, in 2008, 433,903 cosmetic products were seized compared to 242,284 in 2009. The same applies to footwear (296,116 pairs in 2008; 99,783 in 2009), leather products, pharmaceutical products and car parts.
At the same time, in 2009 new kinds of counterfeit items were discovered during the inspections, most notably printer cartridges, jewelry, water filters and even nail files, which were not on the list in 2008.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
Romanian Customs Seize Burberry, Disney, Armani, Nike, Boss Counterfeits
During regular controls at Romania’s border crossings from February 19 to March 2, 2010, the customs officials confiscated various products carrying big brand names, believed to be counterfeit, worth approximately EUR 2.7 million (USD 3.7 million).
Between February 19 and 22, the officials at the port of Constanta, on the western coast of the Black Sea, seized balls bearing the mark of Disney, sneakers bearing the mark of Burberry, and socks bearing Adidas, Nike, Puma, Boss and Reebok marks, all discovered in containers originating in China.
On March 1, 2010, the officials in the town of Siret, northeastern Romania, seized various textile products bearing the labels of Armani and Adidas. The products originated in Turkey and were intended for a company in Ukraine.
On March 2, 2010, the customs inspectors in the town of Varsand, in northwestern Romania, seized various textile products bearing the Nike mark, discovered in a truck driven by a Turkish citizen.
For more information, please contact Marius Ciobanasu in our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
February 23, 2010
Mediation Mandatory in Romania as of March 3, 2010
As of March 3, 2010 mediation will become mandatory in Romania for all civil disputes and simple criminal cases. The legal basis for mediation in Romania has existed since 2006, but the lawyers and the courts tended to overlook this possibility, as it wasn’t mandatory.
The parties involved in the dispute will be obligated to try to resolve the issue through mediation before turning to court. If the trial has already been initiated, they may request suspension thereof for a maximum of three months in order to try to settle the case through mediation. If the parties bring the case to court directly, the judges will require that they try mediation first and settle the issue in court only if mediation fails.
Although this measure was mainly enforced to ease the courts’ caseloads, it is also advantageous for the parties involved in disputes, as it is shorter and less complex and costly.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania office.
Source: Romanian media
Ten Percent of Car Parts in Romania Counterfeit
According to Renault and its Romanian subsidiary Dacia’s estimates, 10 percent of car parts on the Romanian market are counterfeit, which caused EUR 5 million (USD 7 million) damage to Renault in 2009, the company’s quality and services manager Jean Francois Martin stated at a press conference on February 15, 2010.
According to the data presented during the conference, during the past year and a half, the Romanian customs and border police seized almost 25,000 counterfeit Dacia car parts.
The Romanian Customs reported that out of the 70 million products seized in 2009, which is an increase of 250 percent compared to 2008, the auto parts accounted for less than one percent. Most of the seized car parts originated in China, Bulgaria and Turkey.
For more information, please contact Jelena Jankovic in our Balkan Regional Office.
Source: Financiarul.ro
Romanian Customs Seize EUR 160,000 Worth of Counterfeit Goods
The Romanian Customs officials at the port of Constanta, on the western coast of the Black Sea, have recently seized goods suspected of being counterfeit worth approximately EUR 158,969 (USD 219,096).
The confiscated goods included 78,082 glass containers inscribed with the Dolce Gabbana, Clinique, Gucci, Nina Ricci, Dior, Acqua, Versace, Coco Chanel and Allure marks. The containers, used for storing fake cosmetics, originated in China and were intended for a company located in Poland.
In an activity report published on its website, the Romanian Customs announced that in 2009 the customs officials confiscated 60,959,923 counterfeit items, worth approximately EUR 80,500,000 (USD 112,000,000).
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
January 20, 2010
Romanian Customs Seize Counterfeit Adidas and Juventus Sweatshirts
On December 14, 2009, the Romanian Customs officials seized goods suspected of being counterfeit worth approximately EUR 204,500 (USD 296,435).
The seized goods included 2,500 sweatshirts and tracksuits bearing Adidas and Juventus (Italian soccer club) marks.
The goods, seized at the port of Constanta, on the western coast of the Black Sea, originated in China and were intended for a company in Romania.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
December 22, 2009
Romanian Customs Seize 20 Tons of Fake Perfume
On November 29, 2009, the Romanian Customs seized 20 tons of counterfeit perfume bottles bearing, among others, the marks of Gucci, Versace, Calvin Klein and Chanel.
The goods worth EUR 30,000 (USD 43,680) were seized in the town of Varsand in the western Romania, at the border crossing with Hungary, in a truck driven by a Bulgarian citizen. According to the documents presented by the driver, the goods originated in Turkey and were intended for a company in Poland.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania office.
Source: Romanian Customs
November 24, 2009
Romanian Customs Seize Perfumes, Sport Shoes Believed To Be Counterfeit
During regular controls at ports and border crossings, the Romanian Customs and Border Police seized perfumes and children’s sport shoes believed to be counterfeit.
On October 19, 2009, at the Constanța Sud port on the Black Sea, southern Romania, the Customs seized 1,200 pairs of children’s sport shoes bearing the Puma sign, estimated at EUR 48,000 (USD 71,900). The goods were found in a container from China and they were intended for a company in Romania.
On November 9, 2009, the Customs and Border Police at the Varsand border crossing on the border with Hungary seized approximately 19 tons of perfumes bearing the marks of Lacoste, Dior, Dolce&Gabbana, Prada and Chanel. The goods were found in a truck that, according to the documents presented by the driver, was supposed to be transporting textiles for a company in France.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sârghi at our Romania office.
October 21, 2009
Romanian Customs Seize 7,000 Counterfeit FIFA Soccer Balls
On September 30, 2009, the Romanian Customs seized EUR 290,000 (USD 425,000) worth of goods believed to be counterfeit.
The seized items included 7,269 soccer balls bearing the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) sign.
The customs officials discovered the counterfeit balls at the port of Constanța, on the western coast of the Black Sea, in a container arriving from Pakistan and intended for a company located in Ukraine.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania office.
September 25, 2009
Romanian Customs Seize EUR 2,774,096 Worth of Counterfeit Goods
On September 8, 2009, in port Constanta Sud, on the western coast of the Black Sea, Romanian Customs seized EUR 2,744,096 (USD 4,071,768) worth of goods believed to be counterfeit.
The seized goods included 601,761 pairs of Adidas, Puma, Nike, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, and Reebok socks, as well as Cannon, Epson and HP printer cartridges.
The customs officials discovered the counterfeit goods in several containers arriving from China and intended for companies located in Romania and Ukraine.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania Office.
Romanian PTO Officials Help Small Businesses
As of September 14, 2009, experts from the Romanian Patents and Trademarks Office are on a permanent mission at the Trade Registry Office of the Bucharest Court, informing entrepreneurs about intellectual property rights and trademark registration.
PTO officials are available to interested entrepreneurs every day, on the first floor of the Trade Registry Office of the Bucharest Court.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania Office.
August 19, 2009
Macedonia and Romania Establish Cooperation for Prior Art Searches
On July 15, 2009, Macedonian and Romanian PTO officials signed a cooperation plan for prior art searches.
Since the Macedonian PTO does not have the necessary resources to perform prior art searches, the cooperation will allow Macedonia to use the services of the Romanian PTO as a qualified search contractor.
Accordingly, the Romanian PTO will assist its Macedonian counterpart in carrying out prior art searches for applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The Macedonian PTO will automatically recognize the results and expert opinion provided by the Romanian PTO.
For more information, please contact Tatjana Nakevska in our Macedonia Office.
Romanian Customs Seize Counterfeit Diesel, Lacoste and Reebok Goods
On August 3, 2009, Romanian customs officials seized counterfeit goods worth approximately EUR 3,330,000 (USD 4,712,00).
The confiscated goods included 748,320 pairs of counterfeit Adidas, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Nike and Reebok socks.
The items were seized in the port of Constanța Sud in southeastern Romania, in a container from China. The goods were intended for a company in Ukraine.
Earlier, on July 30, 2009, the customs authorities confiscated 1,878 Diesel Time watches, worth approximately EUR 131,000 (USD 185,355).
The counterfeits were discovered in Constanța Sud in southeastern Romania, in a container traveling from China to Bulgaria.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sârghi in our Romania Office.
July 21, 2009
Romania Approves Amendments to Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications
On July 8, 2009, the Romanian government approved the Bill of Amendments to the Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications.
The purpose of the bill is to incorporate relevant European Union legal intellectual property provisions that were previously not expressly stated in the national legislation of Romania.
The bill introduces important changes in terminology, registration procedure for national applications, and it ensures the existence of a legal framework for the prosecution of European Union community trademarks.
The new legal provisions expand the category of signs that can be registered as trademarks by introducing the category of “holograms” and the category of “sound marks.”
The bill also further explains the grounds on which a trademark application can be rejected. For example, the application would be rejected if it is identical or similar to a prior community registration, even if it is filed for the goods and services that are different from the goods and services of the prior mark. It would be rejected if the prior mark has a reputation at the community level, and if the use of the applicant’s mark would take unfair advantage of the distinctive character or the reputation of the prior mark.
The most important change in the registration procedure for national applications is the following: the PTO can only carry out the examination on absolute grounds.
The bill stipulates that applications be published in the online database no later than seven days following the application date. Any interested party can submit observations on absolute grounds, and file an opposition on relative grounds no later than two months following the publication date.
Applications for community trademarks need to be forwarded to the OHIM no later than two weeks following the filing date with the Romanian PTO.
The bill also explicitly states that the Bucharest Tribunal can try cases that involve community trademarks. This was previously stipulated only in the European Union’s legislation, but not in the national legislation of Romania.
The bill is now due to enter into further parliamentary procedure.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sârghi in our Romania Office.
Romanian Customs Seize Counterfeit Adidas, Dior, Lacoste and Nike Items
In the period between June 29 and July 4, 2009, Romanian customs officials seized two loads of various counterfeit goods.
On June 29, 2009, the customs officials found 3,613 pairs of counterfeit Adidas sports shoes, and 6,418 items of counterfeit Nike sportswear.
The goods are worth EUR 350,000 (USD 487,113). They were discovered in Bechet in southern Romania, in a truck driven by a Bulgarian citizen.
According to the documents presented to the customs officials, the goods originated from Singapore and were intended for a company in the Netherlands.
On July 4, 2009, the customs officials seized approximately 37,900 liters of counterfeit Chanel, Dior Dolce&Gabbana, and Lacoste perfume.
The seized goods were discovered in Varsand in northwestern Romania, in two trucks coming from Turkey. They were intended for a company in Germany.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sârghi in our Romania Office.
June 25, 2009
Romanian PTO Limits Turn-Around for Trademark Searches
As of June 1, 2009, the Romanian Patent and Trademark Office no longer receives orders for the release of trademark searches in 25 working days.
All other terms for the issuing of trademark searches remain in force. The results of most trademark searches in Romania are released by the PTO after two, seven or 15 working days.
For certain types of trademark searches (e.g. identical, availability), urgent requests can be filed. In those cases, the Romanian PTO releases results either on the same day, or after one working day.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sârghi in our Romania office.
Romanian Customs Seize Counterfeit Adidas, Armani, Chanel, Lacoste and Nike Goods
The Romanian Customs have recently seized two loads of counterfeit goods. The first load was confiscated on June 15, 2009, when customs officials discovered 6,000 pairs of counterfeit Adidas sports shoes worth EUR 290,000 (USD 401,471).
The customs found the counterfeit goods at the town of Bechet in southern Romania. The goods were discovered in a truck driven by a Bulgarian citizen.
The other load was discovered on June 2, 2009 in the town of Varsand, in northwestern Romania, in a truck driven by a Greek citizen. This load contained various counterfeit goods worth approximately EUR 86,400 (USD 119,928).
The load included 519 bottles of perfume and 1,534 pairs of sport shoes, bearing the trademarks of Adidas, Armani, Chanel, Lacoste and Nike.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sârghi in our Romania Office.
May 12, 2009
Romania Introduces Fees for Publication of Trademark Applications
On May 1, 2009, the Romanian Patent and Trademark Office introduced fees for the publication of trademark applications in the Official Gazette.
The fee amounts to EUR 30 for black and white marks and EUR 100 for color marks. The fees apply to trademark applications filed after May 1, 2009.
The fee is to be paid no later than one month following the settlement of the statutory deposit.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sârghi in our Romania office.
Romanian Customs Seize Counterfeit Adidas, Nike, Puma and Reebok Apparel
On April 28, 2009, Romanian customs officials seized counterfeit goods worth approximately EUR 2.35 million (USD 3.155 million).
The seized goods included 86,986 counterfeit Adidas, Puma, Reebok, and Nike apparel.
The goods were seized in the port of Constanța, in southwestern Romania, during a regular inspection. They were discovered in a container brought from China.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sârghi in our Romania office.
Romania Destroys 150,000 Pirated CDs, DVDs and VHS Tapes
To mark the Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2009, the Romanian Copyright Office organized a public destruction of approximately 150,000 pirated CDs, DVDs and VHS cassettes with music, films and computer programs in downtown Bucharest.
Officials also destroyed approximately 200 hardware items. The value of destroyed goods was estimated at about EUR 238,000 (USD 319,044). The goods were seized from more than 1,000 persons who had produced or marketed them.
This was the seventh year that the Romanian Copyright Office celebrated the Intellectual Property Day by publicly destroying counterfeit goods.
On the same occasion, the Romanian Patent and Trademark Office issued the certificate for the 100,000th trademark registered in Romania.
The certificate was presented to the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca during a ceremony held at the PTO headquarters.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sârghi in our Romania office.
April 14, 2009
Romanian Customs Seize Counterfeit Toys and Cosmetics Worth EUR 142,700
The Romanian customs authorities recently seized counterfeit Chinese toys and cosmetics during regular inspections in the port of Constanta in southeastern Romania.
The first seizure took place on March 27, 2009, when customs officers discovered 2,045 plastic toy cars and motorcycles, bearing the names of Honda, Toyota, Nissan, BMW and Lexus. Their value was estimated at approximately EUR 25,700 (USD 34,000).
On the second occasion, on April 01, 2009, the customs officers seized 12,090 counterfeit L’Oréal, Channel, Max Factor, Lancôme, Hugo Boss, Revlon and Givenchy cosmetic products, worth approximately EUR 117,000 (USD 155,000).
In both instances, the counterfeit goods were found in containers shipped from China.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania Office.
Romania to Host IP Training on Patent Litigation
The European Patent Academy will hold IP training “Patent Litigation and Procedures” for 40 judges and public prosecutors in Bucharest, Romania, on April 23 and 24, 2009.
According to the announcement published on the website of the European Patent Office (EPO), the training will address the following themes:
- General aspects related to patent litigation;
- The scope of protection;
- Procedural elements in patent litigation;
- The EU Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive and its implementation in EU member states.
The European Patent Academy is organizing the event in cooperation with the Romanian National Institute of Magistracy and the Romanian Patent and Trademark Office.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania Office.
March 17, 2009
Romania Launches Online Patent Applications
The Romanian Patent and Trademark Office has recently launched online patent applications, both for applicants seeking domestic registration of patents, and for those seeking registration under the international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and the European Patent Convention (EPC).
Patent applications can now be submitted on the website of the Romanian Patent and Trademark Office at www.osim.ro.
By applying online, applicants will pay lower administrative fees. Domestic patent applications submitted online cost EUR 20, as opposed to EUR 30 for paper-based applications.
If applicants wish to submit an online PCT application, the price ranges from CHF 100 to 300, depending on the coding format and content of the application. The same paper-based application costs CHF 1,330, plus CHF 15 for each page exceeding 30 sheets.
Should applicants want to submit an online EPC application, they will pay EUR 110, as opposed to EUR 180 for paper-based applications.
The Romanian online application system instantly generates the application number and date, reports errors and omissions in the inserted data, and provides a safe and secure system using data encryption with smart cards.
For more information, please contact Roxana Sarghi in our Romania Office.
January 02, 2007
Supplementary Protection Certificates in Bulgaria and Romania
Further to the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union on January 1, 2007, EU regulations concerning the creation of supplementary protection certificates for medicinal products, as well as the regulations concerning the creation of supplementary protection certificates for plant protection products will enter into force in these two countries.
Accordingly, it is important to note the following:
In both Bulgaria and Romania any medicinal product or any plant protection product protected by a valid basic patent and for which the first authorisation to enter the market as a medicinal product or as a plant protection product was obtained after January 1, 2000 may be granted a certificate provided that the application for a certificate is lodged within six months of the date of accession, which is by June 30, 2007.
The above applies even if the actual filing date, calculated according to the EU regulations, has expired.
For more information please contact Loic Dufour or Aura Campeanu.
March 20, 2006
Romania – On March 5, 2006 Amendments to the Law Regarding the Protection of the Topography of the Integrated Circuits Entered Into Force.
The Law 337/2005 will modify the current law on the protection of the Topography of the Integrated Circuits no. 16/1995 in accordance with the Council Directive 87/54/EEC of 16 December 1986 on the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products.
The Law 337 entered into force on 5th March 2006.
Please contact Marilena Oprea in our Romania office for more information on the new law.
December 29, 2005
Romania – New Customs Law Regarding Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Enters Into Force on February 3, 2006
Under the new law the customs survey applications will be free of charge.
The applications should include the following information:
Contact details of the right holder and its representative,
An accurate and detailed technical description of the goods,
The specific information the right-holder has concerning the type of fraud, and
Any other available information such as:
The pre-tax value of the original goods on the legitimate market in the country in which the application for action is lodged
The location of the goods or their intended destination
Particulars identifying the consignment or packages
The scheduled arrival or departure date of the goods
The means of transport used
The identity of the importer, exporter or holder of the goods
The country or countries of production and the routes used by traffickers, and
The technical differences, if known, between the authentic and suspect goods.
Along with the application, the right holder will be required to submit the statement accepting liability for his/her omissions, including subsequent finding that the goods in question do not infringe the right holder’s intellectual property. The right-holder shall also agree to cover all costs incurred in keeping the goods under customs control, including the costs involved in destroying the infringing goods.
All applications filed under the current law should be supplemented with the above outlined statement as required by the new law.
The new law provides that under certain circumstances the infringing goods may be destroyed without initiating any legal actions.
Please contact Marilena Oprea in our Romania office for more information on the new law.
July 21, 2005
SD PETOSEVIC Opens Romania Office
We are pleased to announce the opening of our wholly-owned intellectual property law office in Bucharest, Romania.
SD PETOSEVIC Romania SRL
100 Calea Victoriei Street
2nd floor, Apt. 20, Office 1, Sector 1,
Bucharest, Romania
T. + 40 21 305 79 96
F. + 40 21 314 54 81
Clients are welcome to use our Client Service Office in Brussels to manage their matters or may contact the Romania staff directly:
July 06, 2005
Ratification by Romania of Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol to Enter Into Force on July 20, 2005
On June 20, 2005, the government of Romania has deposited its instrument of ratification of the Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol, adopted at Nairobi on September 26, 1981.
According to WIPO, the Nairobi Treaty will enter into force, with respect to Romania, on July 20, 2005.
For more information, please contact our Romania representative.