Fake Battle

June 01, 2009 (LBO) – Coats Thread Lanka (CTL) says it is battling counterfeiting of its brands by taking legal action against sellers of fakes and taking and has asked retailers to be careful when buying stock. "We have been vigilant and working with the law enforcement authorities to counter this threat by organizing periodic surprise raids based on information received from the public," marketing manager of Coats Thread Lanka, Suranjith Swaris said in a statement.

"Guilty parties have been brought before Court and duly fined. As a result of this, several parties have had their stores duly checked and all counterfeit products removed from their hold."

The company said counterfeiting peaked during the 2007/2008 period.

The firm markets 'Anchor' an embroidery brand which is targeted primarily at craft enthusiasts, and consumer sewing brands, 'Sun' and 'Astra' aimed at tailors and housewives.

Coats Lanka says under Sri Lanka's intellectual property law, distributing and keeping counterfeits is a punishable offence and wholesalers and retailers should be careful when buying stock.