SCHOTT Collaborates in Tackling Counterfeiting and IP Infringement Issues

German speciality glass company SCHOTT participated in the Anti-counterfeiting and brand identification training workshop held recently in Ho Chi Minh City, to discuss the challenges and solutions for combating counterfeiting, anti-smuggling, and IP infringement in Vietnam.  SCHOTT was among the few selected companies that have been invited to take part and showcase their products in the workshop.

The workshop, organized by Vietnam Customs Magazine with the cooperation of REACT, was attended by 150 officials and leaders from diverse authorities, representing key entities such as the National Steering Committee for Anti-Smuggling, Counterfeit Goods and Trade Fraud (National Steering Committee 389), the Vietnam IP Office (VNIPO), the Directorate of Market Surveillance (DMS), the General Department of Customs and Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department, and more. These participants constitute representatives from the highest echelons of government bodies responsible for combating counterfeiting, anti-smuggling, and IP infringement in Vietnam.

One of the main topics discussed at the workshop was the difficulties faced by the authorities in dealing with counterfeit and IP-infringing products, especially in the e-commerce sector. The DMS shared its frustrations with the delays and obstacles in verifying the authenticity of seized products, as well as the lack of reliable contact information for brand owners. The National Steering Committee 389 also expressed its concerns about the anonymity and unpredictability of e-commerce infringers, which hamper effective enforcement actions.

At the workshop, SCHOTT legal representatives emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive working relationship with the authorities and providing timely and accurate verification of seized products. Therefore, it is essential to maintain consistent brand contact information across all authorities for effective confirmation of the authenticity of raided products.

The technology group SCHOTT is the owner of the trademark CERAN® for the world’s best-selling glass-ceramic cooktop panel brand. Since its launch in 1971, SCHOTT CERAN® glass-ceramic cooktop panels have grown to be one of the most successful products and the most known brands for SCHOTT. This bestseller has been sold over 200 million times in more than 150 countries around the world.

At the workshop, SCHOTT also showcased genuine products of SCHOTT CERAN® glass-ceramic cooktop panels along with their fake versions. Fake SCHOTT CERAN® panels often have poor resistance to heat and mechanical stress, which means they perform poorly and break down easily, thereby posing significant health and safety risks to consumers. Consumers can spot these fake products by looking for defects such as bubbles, inclusions, and scratches on the surface, excessive shininess of the cooktop panel, as well as variations of the SCHOTT CERAN® logo.

SCHOTT legal representative explains how to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit SCHOTT CERAN® products at the event

SCHOTT vows to protect Vietnamese consumers from fake products

SCHOTT® and CERAN® are registered trademarks of SCHOTT AG in Vietnam. The company’s legal team actively monitors and addresses any trademark abuse or infringement, in cooperation with Vietnamese authorities.

In April 2023, SCHOTT signed an MOU with the DMS to share information and cooperate in anti-counterfeiting campaigns. Apart from training DMS market enforcement officials to identify fake SCHOTT CERAN® products, SCHOTT also actively take part  official events and exhibitions, demonstrating its active role in addressing the counterfeiting and IP infringement issues in Vietnam.  Recently, SCHOTT participated in the Understanding Real Products – Avoiding Fake products Exhibition organized by the Directorate of Market Surveillance (DMS), to help consumers distinguish between fake and genuine SCHOTT CERAN® products.

“SCHOTT is committed to working closely with the Vietnamese authorities to combat fake products and the associated risks that it poses to Vietnamese consumers,” said Christiane Donndorf, SCHOTT CERAN® Senior Project Lead Marketing Asia. “We will also work to raise awareness among Vietnamese consumers about the dangers of fake products and encourage them to choose only genuine SCHOTT CERAN® cooktops that are certified by SCHOTT and our local partners”.

T.H (Vietnam Business Forum)