Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:**
This report highlights a significant trademark enforcement operation in Taiwan, where 16 jewelry stores were found selling counterfeit branded precious metal items. Despite the gold being genuine, the unauthorized use of international trademarks led to an estimated NT$43 million in infringement value. The case underscores the importance of intellectual property protection in the luxury goods market.
Multiple jewelry stores across Taiwan have been found selling counterfeit precious metal jewelry bearing the logos of internationally renowned brands without authorization from trademark holders. The Criminal Investigation Bureau’s Intellectual Property Crime Investigation Brigade conducted searches at 16 jewelry stores nationwide from January to April last year, seizing a total of 725 counterfeit precious metal jewelry items. Although the items were confirmed to be genuine gold, the trademark infringement value is estimated at NT$43 million. The case has been transferred to relevant district prosecutors’ offices for investigation under the Trademark Act.
Jewelry store counters were filled with a dazzling array of gold jewelry, all bearing the logos of internationally renowned brands, but these were all counterfeit. The task force of the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s Intellectual Property Crime Investigation Brigade spent months gathering evidence before conducting simultaneous searches at 16 jewelry stores across Taiwan from January to April last year. They seized 725 counterfeit luxury gold jewelry items, weighing a total of 75 taels, with an infringement value of NT$43 million.
The investigation revealed that 16 jewelry stores in Yilan, Taichung, Changhua, Kaohsiung, and other areas were involved. They sourced goods from unspecified individual smugglers and displayed them not only in physical stores but also marketed them through e-commerce platforms, offering prices about 20% lower than official counters to attract consumers.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau stated that although the gold jewelry was genuine and came with purity certificates, they lacked brand certification documents. The case has been transferred for prosecution under the Trademark Act. Intellectual property experts noted that these counterfeit items circulate because many jewelry store operators mistakenly believe that genuine gold cannot be considered counterfeit.
Experts emphasized that even if jewelry store operators use the design of well-known brands without copying the logo, it still constitutes trademark infringement. Operators must carefully verify the source of goods and obtain legitimate authorization documents when purchasing. Consumers are advised to purchase from legal channels to protect their rights.