Sunday, June 4 2006

BRUSSELS: People buying unofficial World Cup merchandise risk possible illness, injury or even death, top customs officials have said.

The World Customs Organisation (WCO), representing customs officials from 169 countries, and the European Union’s executive Commission issued the warning ahead of the tournament, which starts on June 9 in Germany.

“There is a high risk for your own safety if you buy some of those products. People can get sick, injured or even worse,” John Pulford, head of the European Commission’s tax and customs unit, told Reuters in an interview.

“It’s not just the jerseys and scarves which burn very quickly, they are very dangerous and can cause rashes, but stuff like bars of chocolate which we don’t know where they came from or what’s in them or lighters which are not child-proof.”

It is estimated that the pirate industry is worth around 50 billion euros (US$64.37 billion) per year and accounts for about ten percent of world trade. Forgers and counterfeiters are expected to target the month-long event.

“The World Cup is the biggest media event in the world and there is a massive risk of a huge influx of counterfeit goods,” Pulford said.

“More than 2,000 seizures of fake goods linked to the World Cup have already been made before the tournament and we expect lots more.”

Some of the world’s biggest manufacturers and World Cup sponsors such as Adidas, Nike and Puma were in Brussels to discuss ways of combating the problem. German customs officers will be using new EU-wide databases that they can use to check goods seized at border points during the World Cup, to track down suppliers and sellers.

Experts are also considering adding new computer chips to goods, including soccer shirts, to assure consumers they were buying official products.

The WCO is particularly concerned about the sale of counterfeit goods via the Internet which represents more than a third of counterfeit sales and said authorities should consider a ban on the sale of all World Cup goods on the Internet. (REUTERS)