NBI seizes fake networking products

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized almost P5 million worth of counterfeit computer networking hardware in separate operations in Metro Manila.

Assistant Regional Director Jose Justo Yap, NBI Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD) chief, said they raided the office of iGlobe Technology Marketing Corp. located on Gilmore street, New Manila in Quezon City; Columbia Technologies Inc. on Nakpil street, Malate, Manila; and Leverage System Technologies Inc. on Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig.

Seized during the operation were 134 units of bogus Cisco computer networking products, including network cards, routers, switches and cables, and packaging materials bearing unauthorized reproductions of the trademark and copyright.

The items were estimated to be worth P4.8 million.

Yap said both iGlobe and Columbia were not authorized dealers of Cisco products.

While Leverage was a licensed distributor, it was allegedly caught selling both original and imitation products.

"The original Cisco products are made in the US while those taken from these three establishments showed that they were manufactured in Taiwan. This is the first time that we have conducted an operation on this particular type of product," Yap said.

Cisco’s representative Quisumbing Torres filed a complaint before the NBI-IRPD.

"It took us some time to arrange the test buy because the products were too expensive. We used P250,000 and were only able to purchase one router and one network card."

He said Cisco products are not easily available in the market and can be acquired on a "per order basis".

Since products have to be ordered from abroad, the customer would have to wait between 30 to 45 days for the shipment to arrive in the country.

Once they found basis for the complaint, case officer Special Investigator III Isagani Illescas Jr. secured search warrants from Executive Judge Antonio Eugenio Jr., of the Manila Regional Trial Court.

The seized items are temporarily stored at the Sekurit Systems & Allied Services Inc. in Parañaque City.

The NBI is set to file charges against the proprietors and operators of the three shops for violating sections of Copyright Infringement and Unfair Competition and Trademark Infringement under Republic Act 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.