Delhi, Chennai markets in US counterfeit list

NEW DELHI: The United States has identified Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar and Kashmere Gate, and Chennai’s Burma Bazaar as “notorious markets” that are rife with counterfeits, adding to markets such as Delhi’s Nehru Place and Sadar Bazaar that it had named earlier.

“In the 2016 Notorious Markets process, stakeholders highlighted dozens of markets across India for counterfeit apparel, footwear, automobiles and auto parts, electronics, leather goods, mobile phones, CDs and DVDs, and luxury goods,” the US said in a ‘Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets for 2016’ on Thursday.

The review highlights specific physical and online markets around the world that are reported to be engaging in and facilitating substantial copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting.

“Our ‘Notorious Markets’ list highlights key examples of online and physical markets all over the world that are linked to significant infringement of American businesses’ intellectual property rights,” said United States trade representative Michael Froman.

The list highlights Gandhi Nagar for counterfeit apparel while Kashmere Gate has been cited as an example of a market allegedly selling counterfeit auto parts.

Burma Bazaar has been named for a wide variety of counterfeit goods and pirated media discs.

“Numerous markets in India have appeared in past lists, with no identified meaningful, effective response by the Indian government,” the US said in the review as it exhorted India to take “sustained and coordinated enforcement action at these and other previously-listed markets, as well as numerous other nominated markets”.