The increasing production and distribution of dangerous counterfeits has been a recurrent topic raised by enforcement authorities, right holders and other private sector representatives, associations and federations. Business manufactures involved in the production of goods that intendedly infringe intellectual property rights are not concerned about the quality, and what is more, the safety of their products. They could contain substances or components that do not meet European safety requirements and therefore show potentially dangerous risks for consumers health and safety. The main two target groups identified are: 1. SMEs of these children’s product sectors. When we refer to consumer goods for children we are including toys, children's clothing, footwear and other items for child use such as childcare items or car seats; and 2. Consumer organizations, as the key path to reach the individuals who buy the products; and An important issue to be considered, supported on previous studies, seems still missing a deep awareness of the actual risks caused by counterfeits, as well as the criminal structure they produce and distribute. The challenge of CounterRISK is to help companies solve the main problems derived from counterfeit in the sector of children’s products, especially focused on health and economic ones. CounterRISK aims at generating news and improving the current knowledge about counterfeiting and their associated side-effects, in sectors, companies and consumers, and even public administrations. The strategic objective is achieving a noteworthy improvement of key competences among target groups, SMEs and consumer associations, in order to protect themselves from counterfeits through a better knowledge of IP and product safety, and how some new technologies implemented in products can be key for regulatory authorities and consumers to assure the authenticity of products. The operational objective is to develop innovative training tools about topics involved in children’s products counterfeit, such as intellectual property, product safety and new technologies, to face the risk of fake and illegal children's products. This specific training will be implemented by both companies (against economical / brand damage) and consumers (against any harm on children’s health). Due to the nature of this particular industry, the wide scope of product distribution and also the interrelation among consumers, it’ easy to justify that only a trans-national project might be able to achieve these objectives, given the underlying fact that all the project topics must comply with EU regulations. Achieving an impact derived of CounterRISK is configured as having helped the target groups defined to have solved their problems facing counterfeiting, and having improved their position in the global environment, whether in competitive, safety and / or health terms. The results of the project will reinforce the competitive position of the ‘legal’ producers and distributors of children products, and penalize the 'illegal' producers and distributors, by highlighting the risks and disadvantages of fake products, both from the point of view of health and economic.
With the implementation of this project, it has managed to provide the target groups with two intellectual outputs in NOOC (nano online open course) format with key content to deal with the problem of counterfeiting. Specifically, we have obtained: - NOOC 1 for the staff of consumer organizations and all those involved in consumer education and awareness activities, and - NOOC 2 for the staff of companies that manufacture, import, or market products for child consumers. The project aimed to educate and raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property and the risks that counterfeit children's products pose to the health, economy, the environment, improving the skills of professionals, both in business and consumer organizations, to protect themselves from the risks of counterfeit products. The courses are offered on a mobile app and consist of mini training pills, videos, infographics, activities, self-evaluation tests, and case studies with augmented reality. The learning process is awarded with tokens, as a gamification element.
The problem of counterfeiting has increased due to the rise of e-commerce, especially after covid-19 crisis. Counterfeiting products often pose serious risks to health, and especially for most vulnerable consumers like children. According to the EUIPO study "Qualitative Study on Risks Posed by Counterfeits to Consumers", 80% of counterfeit and alerted products due to safety failures in the EU were children’s products. Counterfeit children’s products such as toys, car seats, children’s clothes or school supplies do not meet safety standards and can be dangerous with toxic substances, small pieces with which a child could choke or flammable materials, among other hazards. Staff from companies, especially SMEs in children’s products sector, and consumer organizations do not have the necessary abilities to face the problem of counterfeiting in their professional performance. From the perspective of product protection by the company, and by consumer organizations, in their work to educate and raise awareness among consumers.