§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what evaluation he has made of the use by industrial and commercial counterfeiters of the United Kingdom as a base for the production and export of counterfeit goods;
(2) whether he plans to seek to amend the law on industrial and commercial counterfeiting;
(3) what recent representations he has received about industrial and commercial counterfeiting;
(4) what consultations he is having with EEC partners over the harmonisation of legislation which expressly covers the forgery or counterfeiting of a trade mark.
§ Mr. PattieThe production of counterfeit goods is a covert activity on which there is no firm information. I have received representations suggesting that such production is increasing in the United Kingdom and that the forgery of a trade mark and certain related activities should be made criminal offences. These representations are being carefully considered.
Consultations with our EC partners have been undertaken in the context of the current GATT negotiations and the Community regulation on counterfeit goods which was adopted at the Internal Market Council on 1 December 1986 and which will come into force in January 1988.
§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times in the past five years the authorities were unable to bring prosecutions over alleged industrial or commercial counterfeiting cases because the relevant legislation did not permit them to press charges.
§ Mr. HowardThis information is not readily available and its production would involve disproportionate cost.