Stella Nakakande
9 July 2009
opinion
Many people were shocked when a man "manufacturing" 3,000 fake tins of Royco was caught by the UNBS officials. This incident preceded another that showcased the differences between fake and authentic Always, a brand of sanitary pads.
The truth is that most of us like it cheap so we have contributed to the flourishing counterfeit goods business. A counterfeit good, according to Mr Moses Sebunya, the Principal Public Relations Officer at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), is one bearing an unauthorised trademark thereby impinging on the rights of the trademark owner.
However, as long as the product is not substandard, then UNBS has no problem with it. There is a Counterfeit Bill that has been drawn but so far, UNBS cannot take action against counterfeit products that prove to be as good as the original product. Although counterfeit goods may at times be equally efficient as the original products, in most cases, they are a standard below and this makes them dangerous, putting people's lives at risk. The health implications aside, counterfeit goods lead to loss of investor confidence in the market and unfair competition to the genuine manufacturer, all of which affect the country's revenue, Sebunya emphasises. There is no limit to the goods that can be counterfeited. Below are some of them:
Food stuffs
In the recent case, sawdust was placed into Royco tins and packaged as the product. According to Michael Kibuule, a nutritionist with Kim's Medical Centre, if they do not meet the required standard, counterfeited food stuffs could have a negative impact on the physiology (normal functioning) of the body.
"The ingredients of the food stuffs may be poisonous or contain toxins as well as bacterial spores which will perpetuate disease," he says, adding that most of these fake food stuffs are carcinogenic, meaning they are associated with development of some cancers. Canned food, he emphasises, may be easily faked. He says that the seals of the cans are supposed to be flat but in cases of counterfeits, there is a bulge. This makes them poisonous since in most cases, there is a high incidence of bacteria called Clostridium Botulinum especially its spores, which are said to be more dangerous and which can lead to death in a period of 24 hours.
Drugs
Drugs can be counterfeited too. "Counterfeit trade in medicine is lucrative, because it concerns health and everyone would wish to survive," Sebunya says. Counterfeit drugs are associated with various side-effects in patients. Drugs are given to treat and possibly heal certain or specific disease conditions. "If a fake drug is given, then there will be no healing, which could get worst and result in death at times," pharmacist Edmond Zaake of Plus Medic Pharmacy in Wandegeya explains.
He also says that when a fake antibiotic is administered, it could lead to resistance of the organisms. Some drugs are addictive and when they are counterfeited and sold without medical supervision, they usually lack prescription. This means one can access them whenever they want and take them as many times as they want. This may at times lead to addiction.
Sanitary towels
Dr Vincent Karuhanga of Friends' Poly clinic and Ambulance Services, says that there are two types of sanitary towels; the natural ones made from cotton and the synthetic ones. "Cotton is very useful because it is natural and does not cause allergies," he says. "It also does not cause infection in the women's private parts which are very delicate. Most counterfeit sanitary towels are cheaper and most likely to be synthetic," he explains. This means that they are more likely to lead to allergies as well as itching, especially during one's periods even though they may not have Candida. "They could also cause infection that will spread further up into the uterus and develop into chronic pain and chronic infection," he adds. The infection/s may also further spread to the fallopian tubes, cause blockage and later on cause infertility.
Toothpaste
Dr John Kimbe, a dentist at the Industrial Medical Services on Jinja Road says that using fake toothpaste has its disadvantages. The toothpaste, if counterfeited, has not been tested and passed by UNBS and National Drug Authority (NDA) so putting it into the mouth may have negative effects. "The inner lining of the mouth and the tongue are very sensitive," he says. "These areas may get irritated and it is probable that one will get sores." But this, he says, might be dependent on how different the counterfeit is from the original. If they have the same chemicals, then there may be no side effects.
Electric appliances
These, according to Sebunya are among the products that have suffered most. From flat irons to the electric kettles, almost everything is being counterfeited. And this affects products of high market value with reputable manufacturers. For example Philips' counterfeits are Phillibs and Phillips, Panasonic is counterfeited as Panaensonic among others. In many cases, these products are cheaper than the original products but if they do not stop working after a while, they could blow up and lead to a fire or an electric shock.
Tyres
Counterfeit tyres are weak and easily burst when subjected to stress, say when driving at a high speed or when the car is parked under the sun for a long time. They are in fact some of the leading causes of road accidents.
Detergents
Detergents such as vim are counterfeited. Chalk dust is used and a little vim is added so that one can smell the detergent and be convinced that they are buying the genuine product.
So how does one know a counterfeit?
Sebunya says that the price is the first alert. "These products are not made in a factory but most likely someone's home. They are not taxed, so they are cheaper than the original products because the cost of production is low," he explains.
Price aside, the kind of place the product is sold also matters. Sebunya explains that down-town places are target areas especially at peak hours, times of mass consumption say on a rainy evening, festivities, and rush hour or when children are returning to school. The settings are informal and often cannot be traced when there is need to.
The pass-offs are similar in appearance but are not exactly the same, (as in the case of Philips and Phillips, Colgate and Colgdate where the former is the authentic brand. The product name may also have the same pronunciation but different graphics, for example in the case of a product called Soda 4 U whose counterfeit is Soda for You. Products are therefore subject to visual inspection.
Having knowledge about the original products also helps, say its appearance. If Panadol is white and you find a cream tablet, then there is a problem. The labels are also subject to inspection because they may fade and a degree of manipulation might be detected. This too is true for the manufacture and expiry dates, the batch number and the nature of the packaging itself.
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