| | Letter from Tom Thomson, CIPR Vice President
Dear CIPR members and friends,
On behalf of The Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), I would like to update you on the recent IP enforcement event held in Ryazan, Russia. On 7 October, over 40 million cigarettes valued at approximately $5 million were publicly destroyed in Ryazan, a city southeast of Moscow, Russia. The cigarettes were seized in January 2003 in a raid on a factory illicitly producing famous cigarette brands. Russian law enforcement, in cooperation with the infringed brand holder Philip Morris International, found evidence that fake Marlboro and L&M cigarettes were being produced for export to European Union States, according to law enforcement officials. The Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR) spokespersons, representing rights holders, noted at the event that the destruction was an excellent example of cooperation between law enforcement and rights holders that resulted in a successful interdiction. The trade in fake cigarettes and other products are serious and complex issues that require national and international public-private cooperation to effectively address. CIPR noted that the event is only the first step and there are still pending legal actions before the case will be closed. They applauded law enforcements' efforts, adding that law enforcement must stay vigilant to other factories producing fake cigarettes and other counterfeits. Acting Head of the Ryazan Oblast Ministry of Internal Affairs Economic Crimes Department, Sergey Kabashov, Head of Press Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Economic Crimes Department, Alexander Vorobiev and the chief investigating officer briefed the news media on the events leading up to the January 2004 seizure of 40 million fake cigarettes and production equipment at the Shilova Factory. Sergey Kabashov, Alexander Vorobiev and the investigating officer highlighted how important cooperation between the brand-holders and MVD was to the success of the investigation and interdiction. They pointed out that counterfeiting results in losses to the state in terms of taxes and to the brand-holders in terms of sales and reputation. They noted that the Shilova factory is but one facility in Russia producing fake cigarettes for the domestic and European markets, adding that the MVD will continue its efforts to interdict other factories producing counterfeit cigarettes and other products. CIPR will keep you informed about the latest IP-related developments and activities. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my colleague Dominique Winther at +7 (095) 775-0077 or by e-mail at
and
if you have questions or need any additional information.
Kind regards,
Tom Thomson
Vice President
Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR)
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