Forgeries Affect
Imports
Increasing trade of
counterfeit products is
affecting Costa Rican
import firms, which have
fallen victim to unfair
competition by cheaper,
tax-free products,
sources from the sector
claim.
Worldwide, this trade
amounts to us$200
million yearly, nearly
half that sum in pirated
brand name clothes and
shoes, a study published
by daily Spanish
language newspaper La
Nación on Monday.
You can buy cheap copies
of originals on Costa
Rican streets, but the
poor quality affects the
image of the original
brands.
This illegal trade gets
around tax regulations,
saving millions of
dollars in evaded taxes,
in a nation where
authorities do little to
punish crimes against
intellectual property,
with Nike and Puma the
most copied brands.
|
|
