DW-World.de
Deutsche Welle

Forgers and genuine brand manufacturers were side by side at the spare parts trade fair Automechanika in Dubai at the beginning of June. Dubai has introduced higher tariffs in a bid to fight its reputation as one of the main trading areas for forgeries. But a visit to different workshops and dealers in the city shows there are plenty of product pirates. But their hard to recognize.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:   John Merck is back in his old stomping ground, the port of Dubai. Thirty years ago he traded car parts here. Today, he's looking for pirate goods, on behalf of German automotive supplier Mahle. Dubai is an important market for Mahle, but the company has attracted the attention of counterfeiters. John Merck knows all the tricks of the trade. Some counterfeit goods even ended up in his own warehouse: "They go to a wholesaler and buy twenty units that they send off to a factory. The packaging is the first thing they copy, and gradually the rest of the product follows. The filters have all kinds of markings on them and they often make mistakes. For example, I once saw "Mute in Austria" rather than "Made in Austria" -- that's one of the tell-tale signs that you've got counterfeit goods on your hands."

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:   We're on the way to a major trade show for car parts. The economic boom in Dubai has left the authorities playing catch-up with the product pirates. John Merck says that customs checks have improved, but there is still much to be done.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:   At the Automechanika trade show, the German businessman tries to make government officials aware of the piracy issue. Mahle estimates that product piracy costs it 40 million euros a year. It also causes headaches for the event's organiser: "The problem is that a lot of companies don't know how to register their brands here." German companies are now joining forces to fight the product pirates.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:   Michael Dehn is Automechanika Dubai‘s Show Manager: "They're doing it because although they're competitors, they all want to stamp out this illegal practice. That's an area where competitors can work very well together."

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:   Mahle wholesale staff from around the world swap notes about the counterfeiters and their latest tricks. Pirate products put the show's organizers in a difficult position. Every company is welcome here, but that makes it hard to filter out pirate products. John Merck takes a walk with a Mahle executive.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:   Chinese companies dominate the show, and even have a dedicated hall. The German businessmen remain polite, even if it hurts. Arnd Franz is Mahle‘s Group Executive: "We use exactly the same font and typesetting on our own piston ring packaging. Of course they don't use the Mahle brand name, but this design is identical. It's the same look and feel as our packaging." John Merck remains diplomatic. He says imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. There's barely a trace of guilt from the Chinese representative: "You have a very nice design!"

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:   Dubai is a hub for the car parts trade. Beyond the gleaming skyscrapers, a huge indiustrial zone with car repair shops. Original parts are scarce here. And no-one here seems aware of the authorities' crackdown on counterfeit goods. A car mechanic tells us: "About 80 out of every hundred customers want imitation parts. They only cost half as much."

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:   At the port, John Merk takes a closer look, and discovers a suspicious cargo to be shipped to Iran: "These are spare parts", he says. It seems as if manufacturers have to be their own customs officials. John Merck: "Yes, you have to come here. We have people who search the port."

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:   It's three thirty in the afternoon. John Merck calls customs. Five minutes too late -- the officials have gone home for the day. And the cargo ship is free to set sail for Iran, Somalia or Pakistan.