Once more, the toothless and inept Cisco Brand Protection folks are proving they have much more bark than bite.
In a recent note to Cisco channel partners, Cisco Brand Protection is touting the bust of 2 resellers in Vietnam for selling counterfeit Cisco.
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"In addition to having their counterfeit products destroyed, the two resellers received monetary penalties of VND100,000,000 and VND91,319,200 respectively."
"These fines are amongst the most severe ever meted out in Vietnam for intellectual property offences."
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Cisco Brand Protection has counterfeiters in Vietnam shaking in their little counterfeit boots.
How so?
Converting to USD the most severe fines in Vietnam history:
100,000,000.00 VND = 6,267.62770 USD
91,319,200.00 VND = 5,721.9342 USD
Ouch!
Those severe fines have got to hurt!
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Proving Cisco Brand Protection means business, at least in Vietnam:
In the below photo op, Cisco Brand Protection and the authorities in Hanoi, held a destruction event with Cisco’s representatives present to witness the destruction of the Cisco counterfeits seized.
Dispatching a pavement roller to crush 12 empty counterfeit Cisco boxes, most certainly provides a provocative and menacing visual warning to Cisco counterfeiters in Vietnam, that finally Cisco Brand Protection means business!
Thank goodness that Cisco Brand Protection is striking fear into the hearts of counterfeit Cisco resellers in Vietnam.
After all, the 12 empty counterfeit Cisco boxes being crushed above, could have been much better deployed by counterfeit Cisco power sellers on eBay!
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Brad Reese cofounded BradReese.Com Cisco Refurbished which offers one year warranties on Cisco Refurbished and Cisco Repair.
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Perspective -- Vietnam's Per Capita Income is $726 US Dollars
It should be noted that according to the US State Department the per capita income for Vietnam is $726, meaning the fine handed down (note Cisco doesn't establish the fine in fact its Brand Protection team is merely involved in turning cases over to local government agencies) is more than 5 years worth of the average person's annual income in Vietnam.
To put this into perspective, on Sept. 20, 2007 the US Department of Commerce (http://www.unm.edu/~bber/econ/us-pci.htm) stated the US per capita income was roughly $36,000, meaning the equivalent fine in the US would be well over $200,000.
In closing, let's be clear...counterfieting is illegal and this is mutually understood and agreed upon on a global scale, which is why I am a bit confused as to why anyone would oppose Cisco working with local government agencies to protect its brand and business, a business it has invested heavily into building over the past 20-years. Let's also be clear, counterfieting isn't good for Cisco, our customers, our partners or our shareholders nor is it good for our certified engineers (CCIEs, CCxA or CCxP), a group the author of this blog is supposed to be "advancing the careers" of.
UAE brokers busted for Cisco fakes
Additionally, Cisco Brand Protection has also announced the bust of 2 brokers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for selling counterfeit Cisco.
"Cisco is committed to working against counterfeit networks in order to protect legitimate partners and customers from negative impacts of fake products."
Until Cisco Brand Protection eradicates counterfeit Cisco power sellers on eBay, Cisco Brand Protection can't possibly command respect.
As long as counterfeit Cisco power sellers on eBay operate with Cisco's support, Cisco Brand Protection is nothing more than a Cisco PUFF Publicity Outfit, tasked with denigrating the good character of broker/dealers in used/refurbished genuine Cisco equipment!
Sincerely,
Brad Reese
http://www.BradReese.Com
US State Department Link
For those interested in the per capita stat for Vietnam from my prior post (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4130.htm)