GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jul 20, 2026
Counterfeiting
Counterfeiting (product piracy) is the commercial manufacture of and trade in goods that infringe intellectual property rights — such as fake branded clothing, copied spare parts or imitated electronics, often carrying a forged CE marking.
Quick Answer
Last updated:
Source: https://www.zoll.de/DE/Fachthemen/Verbote-Beschraenkungen/Gewerblicher-Rechtsschutz/Marken-und-Produktpiraterie/Antrag/Antrag-nach-Gemeinschaftsrecht/antrag-nach-gemeinschaftsrecht.html
Category
Find a matching partner on this lane
Reading time
1 min
Words
149
Mentioned in
–
Definition & Explanation
Counterfeiting (product piracy) is the commercial manufacture of and trade in goods that infringe intellectual property rights — such as fake branded clothing, copied spare parts or imitated electronics, often carrying a forged CE marking. For logistics the issue is a daily reality: counterfeits travel as ordinary freight or parcel shipments and are frequently only discovered at import. Rights holders can file an application for action with the customs authorities; suspicious consignments are then detained under the border seizure procedure of Regulation (EU) No 608/2013 and, as a rule, destroyed. Freight forwarders and customs declarants should be alert to suspiciously cheap branded goods, unclear shippers or misdeclared goods descriptions, since carriers too can be drawn into proceedings. In e-commerce, the Digital Services Act obliges platforms to act against counterfeit listings. Not to be confused with legal parallel imports of genuine goods (grey market), which do not infringe IP rights.
Next steps
Matching tools and partners
Related Terms
You might also be interested in these terms
Connect
Find a matching partner on this lane
Verified forwarders, ranked by coverage and profile — premium capped at 10%.
Logistics knowledge straight to your inbox
Free · No password · Never a paywall. Weekly top news and facts from logistics.