Burgas Customs Seizes 16,995 Fake Watches

Customs officials from the Burgas Territorial Customs Directorate seized an impressive 16,995 wristwatches, imitating the industrial design of a world-renowned trademark, the Customs Agency reported.

The discovery, made during a routine inspection, raises important questions about the protection of intellectual property and the fight against the smuggling of counterfeit goods.

The confiscated items were found to be in violation of intellectual property rights. Experts emphasize the importance of such actions for maintaining trust in trademarks and for protecting consumers from low-quality products.

The watches with a "branded" design were discovered during a customs inspection of a container of goods. The container was in transit from China to Turkey, passing through Bulgaria. The expectation was that the goods would continue their journey by truck to their final destination after arriving in Burgas by sea.

While inspectors were checking the declared goods, they came across an impressive number of 16,995 mechanical wristwatches. The design of the watches clearly resembled that of a protected trademark, which immediately raised suspicions.

The actions of the customs officials were taken in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 608/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of intellectual property rights. The owner of the trademark rights was notified of the case. After assessment, he confirmed that the watches were manufactured in violation of his rights. As a result, the goods are subject to destruction under customs control, with the costs to be borne by the owner of the design.

This case is just one of many. Since the beginning of the year, customs officials from the Burgas Territorial Customs Directorate have carried out numerous actions to protect intellectual property rights and to protect consumers from counterfeit and low-quality "branded" goods. They have seized nearly 1 goods that violate these rights.