Back in 1977, himself affected by plagiarisms, German Designer Professor Busse decided to establish a negative award that would serve to inform the public - designers and enterprises as well as politicians, legislators and not least consumers - about the problem of brand and product piracy and the negative impacts it has on the economy. Action Plagiarius awards the negative prize at the annual “Ambiente” trade fair during a press conference. The award is given to those companies that the jury has found guilty of making the most flagrant design imitations. As his key figure, Busse chose a gnome, which he painted black with a gold nose to signify the illicit earnings from product imitation.

Today, almost 30 years later, brand and product piracy has developed into one of the fastest growing economic crimes of modern times that confront companies, governments and individuals with severe problems. The Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau of the ICC in London warns: “What was once a cottage industry has now become a highly sophisticated network of organised crime that has the capacity to threaten the very fabric of national economies, endanger safety and frequently kill. It devalues corporate reputations, hinders investment, funds terrorism, and costs hundreds of thousands of people their livelihood every year.“
The profit margins for counterfeiting are in the meanwhile more lucrative than those for smuggling and drug dealing - the penalties however, are ridiculously low. Increasing know-how on part of the imitators combined with modern technologies partially result in high-quality counterfeits that even experts cannot clearly distinguish from the original products.

The European Commission estimates that 7-10% of world-wide commerce are fakes and plagiarisms and that copying products causes worldwide economic losses of $200 to $300 billion as well as the loss of 200,000 jobs each year. Tendency: Rising!

More and more ruthless people copy the ideas of internationally successful companies and designers and present these imitations as their own creation. When high profits are in sight innumerable western companies and distributors easily abandon their ethics. Amongst the recent registrations for the plagiarius-competition e.g. round about two thirds of the imitations were produced or sold in Europe; only one third was manufactured or sold in China or Southeast Asia.
Creative and honest companies are damaged. They suffer widely from brand and product piracy: Starting with decreasing turnovers, the loss of market shares and the destruction of the good reputation of a brand up to unfounded product liability claims. Furthermore the imitators often neglect the prevailing standards concerning quality, ecology and safety and thus knowingly put at stake the consumers health and even lives.

It seems as if all efforts to get the problem of brand and product piracy under control are unpromising and hopeless. However, stopping the fight against the theft of intellectual property is no alternative as it would allow the criminals to gain even more power. Experience shows that taking preventive measures (e.g. registration of intellectual property rights) as well as consistently taking rigorous steps against the imitators in case of infringements often lead to success.

With systematic and purposeful information and advice as well as consistent public relations Action Plagiarius has achieved so much over the past decades concerning the sensitisation of all kinds of target groups, from designers and companies to politicians and legislators up to the consumers. The immense presence of Plagiarius in the Media as well as the numerous inquiries for exhibitions and lectures reveal the huge interest but also the still prevailing demand for information concerning the problem. The increasing international awareness of Plagiarius reinforces the deterring effect of the negative award on imitators. In order to avoid or minimise the public disgrace especially German / European imitators quickly seek a mutual agreement with the original producer. They take the imitations from the market, sign preliminary injunctions and name other companies involved in the supply chain. In case of a mutual agreement Action Plagiarius removes the name of the imitator.

Recently Action Plagiarius supports the campaign “Frankfurt Fair against Copying” which started in January this year. With this new campaign Frankfurt Fair intends to inform and sensitise exhibitors and visitors of all its trade fairs for the importance of the protection of brands and designs. In Foyer 4.1 experts from customs, the German and the European Patent offices as well as from APM and Action Plagiarius give advice on how to protect one’s intellectual property.

At the end of May 2006 Action Plagiarius plans the inauguration of its „Museum Plagiarius“ in the city of Solingen (near Cologne). The exhibition will show originals and plagiarisms of all kinds of branches in direct comparison. Furthermore workshops and seminars on how to fight brand and product piracy will take place in the conference room of the museum.

The Jury of the Plagiarius-Competition 2006:

Each year the jury is put together individually with specialists from the sectors Design, Intellectual Property, Economics, Media etc. The following persons formed this years' jury:

Dr. Dieter Brucklacher
Managing Director Leitz GmbH & Co. KG, Oberkochen and President of VDMA -German Engineering Federation, Frankfurt, Germany

Gunter Czisch
Mayor of the City of Ulm, Germany

Karen Dowidat
Managing Director Gedore-Otto Dowidat, Remscheid, Germany

Markus Ferstera
Managing Director Geba Möbelwerke GmbH, Löhne and Chairman of the Design Center NRW, Essen, Germany

Franz Haug
Mayor of the City of Solingen, Germany

Hartmut Pilhofer
Director R&D Nokia GmbH (Product Creation Side), Ulm, Germany

Vera Rottes
Managing Director Sanierungsgesellschaft Südliche Innenstadt Solingen GmbH & Co. KG, Solingen, Germany


Legal advice:

Dr. Aliki Busse
Lawyer, Chambers Busse & Partner, Munich, Germany


The Prize-Winners of the Plagiarius-Competition 2006:

The Jury met on January 21, 2006. Three prizes, seven distinctions and two special prizes have been awarded; total entities: 58.

1. Prize: Tab for a Washbasin "Giorno“
Original: Aloys F. Dornbracht GmbH & Co. KG, Iserlohn, Germany
Design: Massimo Iosa Ghini, Bologna, Italy
Plagiarism: GROEMIX Sp. z o.o., Warsaw, Poland

2. Prize: Mokik Bike „MadAss“
Original: SACHS Fahrzeug- und Motorentechnik GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany
Plagiarism: Manufacturer: Eastern Motorcycle Co. Ltd., Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Distribution: Panon Sp. z o.o., Warsaw, Poland

3. Prize: Chair „Vero“
Original: Victoria Design AG, Baar, Switzerland
Plagiarism: G-Collection GmbH, Rothenthurm, Switzerland

Seven „Distinctions“ (equal in rank) were awarded to:

Jugs „Juwel“ and „Juwel Tea“
Originals: alfi GmbH, Wertheim, Germany
Plagiarisms: Hunan Wujo Light Industry & Chemicals Group Co. Ltd., Lianyuan, Hunan, China

Toy Vehicle Model „Manitou Teleskoplader MLT 633“
Original: BRUDER Spielwaren GmbH + Co. KG, Fürth, Germany
Plagiarism: DICKIE-SPIELZEUG GmbH & Co. KG, Fürth, Germany

Stonebird „XL106E“
Original: Gebrüder Lomprich GmbH, Freiberg, Germany
Plagiarism: J. Tiedemann, Bad Zwischenahn, Germany

Chain Saw „MS 380“
Original: ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG, Waiblingen, Germany
Plagiarism: SWOOL Power Machinery Co. Ltd., Quzhou, Zhejiang, China

Flashlight „Photonenpumpe V8“
Original: Zweibrüder Optoelectronics GmbH, Solingen, Germany
Plagiarism: Diomercado, Nuremberg, Germany


The following "Special Prizes" was awarded:

Special Award „Incitement“
Flashlights „MINI MAGLITE 2AA-Cell and 2AAA-Cell“
Originals: Mag Instrument, Inc., California, U.S.A.
Plagiarisms: Originator: Bitburger Brauerei Th. Simon GmbH, Bitburg, Germany
Distributor: Uniglory GmbH & Co. KG, Mühlheim/Ruhr, Germany
Manufacturer and 1. distributor are both from China

Special Award „Brand Theft“
Brand „Solingen“ for cutting equipment made in the city of Solingen
Brand Owner: IHK Industrie- und Handelskammer (Chamber of Commerce) Wuppertal-Solingen-Remscheid, Wuppertal, Germany
Brand Infringer: The brand „Solingen“ is often used especially in Southeast-Asian countries in order to deceive on the geographical origin. „Solingen“ stands for tradition and quality as regards cutting equipment. The knives shown are only one example out of many.


The award ceremony of „Plagiarius 2006“ takes place as follows:

Frankfurter „Ambiente“
Congress Center, Frankfurt Fair, Room „Illusion 1-3“
Date: Friday, February 10, 2006, 13:00 h (1 p.m.)

The laudatory speech on the prize winners is held by Anton Wolfgang Graf von Faber-Castell, Chairman of FABER-CASTELL AG.

The Plagiarius prize winners 2005 + 2006 will be presented at the Special Show "Plagiarius" from February 10-14, 2006 at the Foyer 4.1 (Foyer of Hall 4, level 1).

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