Seizures in Dubai and Morocco

On the territory of Dubai, the FH continued to cooperate with local police through the intermediary of its agent. In the course of the year, fourteen police raids were carried out at the behest of FH lawyers, leading to the seizure of more than 90,000 fake Swiss watches. In each case, those caught were temporarily arrested, criminal charges were filed and proceedings set in motion by the public prosecutor. Since the start of collaboration with this agent in 2011, nearly 250,000 fake Swiss watches have been confiscated in this way.

On the same territory, the FH works closely with the Dubai Department of Economic Development. Tasked with commercial surveillance, this agency carried out seizures in 27 shops or adjoining premises in 2014, confiscating more than 9,000 fake watches and inflicting fines in excess of 150,000 francs on unscrupulous traders.

Morocco, the continent’s second most popular tourist destination behind South Africa, has a population of 33 million and welcomes more than thirteen million visitors each year. This influx has created conditions allowing counterfeiting to spread across the country, a fact which is unfortunately visible today on the markets of Moroccan towns. In the second half of 2014, two raids were successfully carried out. The first operation took place in Casablanca, where 58,743 counterfeit products were seized. The goods were stored in the back rooms of five shops used as warehouses. The second raid targeted Agadir and resulted in the confiscation of 32,708 watches. FH lawyers have initiated civil proceedings and are hoping to obtain an injunction which will prohibit those charged from selling counterfeit watches and result in the confiscation and destruction of goods, as well as the award of damages to the plaintiffs, bearing in mind that Moroccan law offers this possibility to brands whose rights have been infringed.

December 11, 2014