Brand protection in Hong Kong

• Counterfeits are booming in Hong Kong, as criminals find it easier to sell fake items online.
• Brands can protect themselves through working with an IP professional to set up Customs Recordals and trade marks, and by using digital tools to weed out counterfeiters.

Hong Kong SAR’s economy is finally starting to bounce back, as several years of strict COVID-19 restrictions have finally been eased. Now it is in a position to grow its economy again, but this positive growth has been accompanied by a less positive consequence—a boom in counterfeiting.

There has been a notable rise in counterfeit goods making their way out of the region, with the Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department (HKC&E) reporting that it seized more than 11,000 items of suspected counterfeit goods with a total estimated market value of about HK$4.4m (approximately £425,000) in the two days from 14–16 February this year,