To protect the safe and secured lives of people and maintain and develop the healthy economic activities of companies, Japan Customs is responsible for enforcement on products infringing intellectual property rights (IPR) such as fake brand goods and pirated goods (See pictures) which have no permission by holders of trade mark rights, copyrights, etc.

IPR infringing goods are not anything you may think that it’s no problem if the person purchases those goods recognizing they are fake. There are many cases where money gained from the sale of fake brand goods constitutes the income sources of gangs, terrorist organizations, etc., and also many IPR infringing goods such as counterfeit medicines (See the picture) and counterfeit brake pads are likely to be harmful to people’s health and safety. Therefore it is required that Japan Customs intercepts these goods before they flow into Japan and are delivered to people.

Moreover, it takes much time, money and labor to develop genuine products acceptable for people so if cheap IPR infringing goods spread in Japan, it results in giving negative impacts on the economic activities of right holders: downward sales of genuine products or reducing desire to develop new products.

IPR infringing goods are made from poor materials and by poor technologies, so even if you got them, it does not match the value you paid to and you will never be satisfied with them.