05/12/2019 - Permalink

News from our partners: Keeping shoppers safe from rogue traders and counterfeits

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News from our partners National Markets Group

10th anniversary of Real Deal ‘Fake Free Markets’ Charter

  • National Markets Group (NMG) Real Deal ‘Fake Free Markets’ campaign reaches 10-year anniversary.
  • More than 500 markets have voluntarily signed the ‘Real Deal’ charter through trading standards.
  • The campaign protects shoppers, genuine traders and local businesses from impact of counterfeit crime.

Shoppers across the UK are now increasingly likely to enjoy a genuine purchase from their local market, thanks to a consumer-friendly ‘Fake-Free Markets’ charter which is seeing its 10th anniversary this week.

An initiative of the National Markets Group for IP Protection (NMG), the Real Deal ‘Fake Free Markets’ Charter reassures consumers that they can expect to buy only genuine brands and quality goods when they shop at any local market, car boot sale or selling group displaying the ‘Real Deal’ logo. Since 2009, more than 500 local markets have signed up voluntarily to the charter via their local Trading Standards service, helping to stamp out rogue traders and potentially harmful counterfeit products.

The NMG is made up of a partnership of law enforcement, government and industry stakeholders, supported by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA).

Patricia Lennon, National Coordinator of the ‘Real Deal’ Campaign for the NMG, said:

“The Real Deal charter has proved to be a huge reassurance for shoppers. We cannot praise highly enough the commitment we have seen from markets and Trading Standards across the UK who have jointly signed up to the charter to protect their customers from buying untested, poor quality, potentially unsafe counterfeit products.

“In displaying the ‘Real Deal’ logo, a market reassures its customers that it is a safe place to buy and sell. It also sends a strong ‘keep out’ message to any would-be traders in counterfeits who have no scruples when it comes to selling sub-standard products.”

Graham Mogg, Chair of the NMG, said:

“Counterfeit products are not only bad news for consumers, but also for legitimate, hard-working local business owners who risk losing sales.

“When counterfeits find their way into a market environment, the revenue goes to the black market rather than the economy. The trade in fakes is frequently found to be linked to organised crime – something that would horrify most shoppers or traders if they knew.”

Although a large number of outlets have signed up to the scheme, the NMG is using this 10th anniversary milestone to urge more markets to join the initiative. More information on the Real Deal campaign and its 10th anniversary celebrations can be found at www.realdealmarkets.co.uk.

Further information

  • Since 2009, more than 500 local markets have been encouraged to sign up voluntarily to the Real Deal ‘Fake Free Markets’ Charter with their local Trading Standards service, committing to stamp out rogue traders and counterfeit products.
  • More than 100 Trading Standards authorities have signed up for NMG’s online Real Deal toolkit.
  • The charter reassures consumers that they can expect to buy genuine brands and quality goods when they shop at any local market, car boot sale or selling group displaying the ‘Real Deal’ logo.
  • There will be a week of NMG-focused celebrations from Monday 2 December (NMG week).
  • There will be a full day conference on Wednesday 4 December at The Shard, London, to mark ‘Real Deal 10’ – 10 years of Real Deal Fake Free Market collaboration and success stories. Speakers will be from amongst the NMG partnership organisations and will reinforce the ‘Fake Free Markets’ and anti-counterfeit message.

About the National Markets Group (NMG) 

The NMG was established in 2008 to provide a forum for a national, co-ordinated, cross-sector approach to tackle the trade in counterfeit goods at markets and car boot fairs.

Members of the NMG include:

  • Trading Standards Institute
  • Individual Trading Standards offices
  • Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Intelligence Hub
  • The Department of Work and Pensions
  • Individual Police Authorities
  • HM Revenue & Customs
  • LG Regulation
  • National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA)
  • Organisations tackling the issue of illegal tobacco sales
  • Industry groups representing trademark and copyright holders (including the Industry Trust for IP Awareness, Alliance Against IP Theft, FACT, ACG, BPI) 

About the ‘Real Deal’ campaign  

Launched in 2009, the Real Deal campaign is an initiative of the National Markets Group for IP Protection.

The project is endorsed by all the key stakeholders who have an interest in ensuring fake-free trading, including the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Trading Standards Scotland, the National Trading Standards e-Crime Team and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

It has been cited as best practice by UK IP Ministers and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) as well as by organisations representing the interests of IP rights owners, and the national associations for market operators (NABMA) and market traders (NMTF).

Financial support is provided by the project’s industry sponsors: BPI, the Industry Trust for IP Awareness, Proctor & Gamble, the Premier League, React, Sky, Superdry, Surelock, WRI Group, Ted Baker, and other brand members of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group.

For more information and a list of markets and trading standards authorities that have signed up to the Real Deal Charter go to http://www.realdealmarkets.co.uk/markets/ and http://www.realdealmarkets.co.uk/councils/