counterfeit goods. An estimated 6,000 vendors sell to 20,000 customers daily. The market is reputed to be a haven for organized criminal gangs that operate from within it, resulting in little to no IPR enforcement.
Neighborhood of Quiapo (Manila, Philippines). Street stalls in this neighborhood are notorious for selling counterfeit and pirated merchandise. Other notorious markets in Manila include Binondo, Greenhills, Makati Cinema Square, and Metrowalk.
Harco Glodok (Jakarta, Indonesia). This is reported to be one of the largest markets for counterfeit and pirated goods in Indonesia, particularly well-known for pirated optical discs. Enforcement officials are reportedly reluctant to conduct regular enforcement actions because of the presence of organized criminal gangs.
Panthip Plaza, Mah Boon Krong (MBK) Center, Klong Thorn, Patpong, and Sukhumvit Road (Bangkok, Thailand). These locations are notorious for openly selling pirated and counterfeit goods. They are all designated as "red zones" by Thai authorities, which indicates that they are places where infringing products are most readily available.
Destruction of Seized Counterfeit Goods and Manufacturing Equipment
The destruction of seized counterfeit goods, materials, and related manufacturing equipment is a reliable way to ensure that these goods do not wind up in the hands of consumers. Many countries resort to less effective, alternative measures, such as auctioning off the goods and manufacturing equipment without the right holder's consent, or removing the trademarks on the goods and then reselling them. These methods do not effectively keep these goods out of the hands of consumers, and frequently put them back into the hands of counterfeiters. Industry reports highlight China, Egypt, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, and Uruguay as countries that do not sufficiently enable the destruction of goods or equipment.
In-Transit Goods
In-transit goods pose continuing IPR problems. "In-transit goods" means goods under "Customs transit" and "transshipped" goods as defined in the International Convention on Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Kyoto Convention). These are goods that enter one customs territory but are intended for another destination. They pose a high risk for counterfeiting and piracy because customs procedures may be used to disguise the true country of origin of the goods or to enter goods into customs territories where border enforcement is known to be weak. In-transit goods are significant problems in Hong Kong, Paraguay, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Thailand, among others. In addition, U.S. industries report significant problems in free trade zones in Belize, Chile, Egypt, Paraguay, the Philippines, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, among others. The United States urges these countries to improve their IPR border enforcement systems.
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