Last year, 70% of fake products imported to Latvia were toys. On 1st June, celebrating International Children's Day and running the "Be original - choose the original!" campaign, the Patent Office invites parents to choose toys of high quality and known origin, thus not putting at risk their children's health and life.
In 2022, carrying out cargo and shipment control, officers of the Customs Board of the State Revenue Service (SRS) detained 27,379 counterfeit articles, including 19,171 toys (70% of the total).
Counterfeit toys were mostly detected in cargoes from China, e.g., the SRS Customs Board officers revealed 18,762 items in two sea containers. The most popular types of the fake toys detected were construction toys, toy cars, dolls, ride-on toys, e. g. tricycles, and other goods.
Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Patent Office, emphasized: “Raw materials dangerous to health are often used in the production of fake goods, including toys. They are of poor quality and pose potential risks to our children’s health. Today, on 1st June, marking International Children's Day, I invite every parent to think about their children's health and choose toys that are of high quality and safe to play."
For the first four months of this year, 3,377 units of counterfeit goods have been detected in 47 shipments as a result of the control measures carried out by the SRS Customs Board. The counterfeit products most detained were perfumes, bicycle equipment, game controllers, mobile phones and their accessories, clothing, handbags, watches, shoes, and other goods.
"Often, it is hardly possible to determine visually and even by touch if the traded children's goods and toys are safe (unsafe) and appropriate (inappropriate). This applies particularly to the chemical composition of goods, since the presence of phthalates, for example, is not obvious or immediately felt. Manufacturers use phthalates mainly to make plastic products more flexible and softer. The effects of exposure to this chemical have negative effects on children's hormonal and reproductive systems and will not manifest until, say, 20 years. Therefore, it is important that the manufacturer is reliable and that all safety requirements and quality standards are observed in the production process. There is a very high risk that the manufacturer of counterfeit goods ignores both safety requirements and quality standards," explains Baiba Vītoliņa, Director of the Consumer Rights Protection Centre.
The "Be original - choose the original!" campaign is organized by the Patent Office in cooperation with the SRS Customs Board, the Consumer Rights Protection Centre, and the State Police. It is financially supported by the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
More information on how to recognise a fake and what to do if you have bought it, is available on the website www.viltotarealitate.lv.