Apex Law Chamber

Customs

Helping rights holders address counterfeit and infringing goods moving through import and distribution channels.

Customs inspection of commercial cargo and product shipments

Legal challenges

Counterfeit and infringing goods move through the same import and distribution channels as genuine products, and by the time they reach the retail market, the most effective and lowest-cost point of interception, the border, has already passed.

How we help

We work with rights holders and Customs authorities to identify and intercept counterfeit and infringing goods at the border, coordinating registered rights, documentation and evidence so a shipment can be stopped before it reaches the market.

The border is the most cost-effective point to stop counterfeit goods: a single interception can prevent an entire shipment from reaching distributors, retailers and consumers, at a fraction of the cost of pursuing each downstream seller individually.

We work with rights holders under the Customs Act, 2007 to notify customs authorities of registered trademarks and other rights, provide the documentation and product information officers need to identify counterfeit consignments, and act quickly once a shipment is flagged or seized.

This work runs alongside our anti-counterfeiting and enforcement practice: a strong customs position depends on a clean, current trademark registration and clear evidence of what a genuine product looks like.