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It has the last weeks been several stories about bad equipment in the fight against koronaviruset.
the University hospital of North Norway received several thousand pirated åndedrettsmasker from a private party. The masks were a part of smittevernutstyret used among other things in the work with koronasmittede patients.
800 masks were already used before the error was discovered, and the 200 employees at the newly established intensivposten for Covid-19 therefore had to be tested for possible infection.
Now warns the Patent office against that everything can piratkopieres, and that criminals can exploit koronasituasjonen.
Potentially dangerous
We have warned against that also this type of products, which can pose a significant health and safety risk, piratkopieres in very large scope, ” says Hedvig Bengston.
She is the senior advisor in the Norwegian industrial property office, which is closely following the development of piracy.
therefore, It came as no surprise to us that surgical masks and other protective gear in connection with the koronakrisen piratkopieres in as large a scope as it has been proven that it does, and that organized criminals exploit situations that koronakrisen.
a Senior adviser at the Norwegian Patent office, Hedvig Bengston, says it is important with good knowledge of the supplier before the procurement of goods.
Photo: the Norwegian Patent office
Bengtson refers to several studies and reports, as well as that both Europol and Interpol points out that there are organised criminals who are behind the majority of the trade with pirated copies.
They earn huge money, and they shun absolutely no funds with regard to the security risk that any pirated products pose. This is a growing problem.
Bengston fear that many are not aware that absolutely everything can piratkopieres.
– It is not just to talk about fake bags and watches. All piratkopieres, and as we see in this case; face masks to protect health care workers against covid-19. Other examples of very dangerous counterfeit is climbinggear, chainsaws, infant formula, pesticides to the agriculture industry. It is a kjempeproblem.
Increase in the import of surgical masks and test equipment
the customs for a job check vareinnførselen to Norway continuously. Also, it is confirmed that by several controls have been detected pirated goods.
In these times of korona we are committed to look after risikoprodukter on the area. We are on the alerten, and follows well with that, ” says senior adviser in the customs for a job, Elizabeth Nettum.
She says the customs for a job marks a general increase in the import of surgical masks and testing to Covid-19.
We see a number of new importers on the path who want to take in goods to Norway, which they usually don’t import. Then there is a risk that they do not sit well enough in the legislation.
When the goods are imported into the country should the namely satisfy several requirements and have the approved certificates.
We have controls where we find goods which have bad or counterfeit labeling, and counterfeit certificates. It means that the goods are not approved, and it can have a major impact on the goods come in use, because they for example do not meet medical or security requirements.
a Senior adviser in the customs for a job, Elizabeth Nettum, says they are seeing an increase in the import of surgical masks and testing to Covid-19.
Photo: Birgitte Wold Ingebretsen / NRK – Have a good knowledge of supplier
Hedvig Bengston in the Patent office say it can be very difficult to find out whether a commodity or a party is pirated in retrospect.
– Often you see products are completely identical, and the price level is also similar to the price level originalprodusenten have set to not arouse suspicion. One can not detect whether it is a pirate copy with the naked eye.
Therefore, it is important to do careful research in advance of the actual purchase and make sure you have a good knowledge of the supplier, ” she says.
– It is not necessarily so easy right now with the situation the world is in, and I understand that you have to throw around and gain items where you can.
But I also think that it is very important that more people become aware that piracy has become such a large problem and that all type of goods piratkopieres.
More about koronaviruset StatusRåd and infoØkonomiSpør NRK Status NorgeSist updated: 10.04.20206275Smittet232Innlagt113Dødestatus for Norway
