A Blog user accuses us (not exactly veiledly) of servility towards the Swiss Houses, because in the issue on newsstands we report the news of legal action taken by Audemars Piguet against the producers of copies of its watches, including plastic ones (bought as a game by many enthusiasts who are well aware that they are not original Audemars Piguets). I reproduce below the text published by L'Orologio and, in the comments, the user's message, to which I reply with pleasure.
You are all invited to participate in the debate (we are not afraid of criticism, which in most cases helps to grow and improve!).
From L'Orologio 159, on newsstands:
It is rumoured that...
Audemars Piguet on the attack with plastic!
At the first appearance of the so-called "big plastic watches", i.e. those watches in transparent polycarbonate whose design is reminiscent of famous and beloved models, from the Rolex Daytona to the Panerai Luminor or Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak, the question that circulated in the world was always the same: "... but will the copied companies let it happen? Well, that's how it was until the day before yesterday, and there has never been a whisper (in spite of the title of this column) of any kind of legal action being taken against these objects which, in some way, fuel the dreams of those who, for example, simply cannot afford a Rolex Daytona... Until the day before yesterday, that is. Because it is recent news that Audemars Piguet, in the context of a serious and extremely important policy to safeguard its brand from counterfeits, has also attacked the producers of plastic "Royal Oak-like" watches.
In fact, the company has set up an anti-counterfeiting unit, consisting of lawyers and private investigators, which has already intervened on several occasions, for example by obtaining the closure of stands of manufacturers of plastic copies already at BaselWorld 2006 and, at the same time, has opened about fifteen civil and criminal proceedings before Swiss, French and Italian courts against wholesalers and retailers of 'plastic' copies, all of which have been terminated or are pending. In addition, 400 watches were confiscated from Italian wholesalers and retailers.
In parallel with these measures, Audemars Piguet's anti-counterfeiting vigilance unit pursued and reinforced its actions against 'classic' counterfeiters, i.e. those who make metal counterfeit replicas. In 2006, 126 raids were organised, leading to the seizure of 6,300 pieces, and some 50 civil and criminal proceedings were initiated, ending with more than 30 convictions in favour of Audemars Piguet. In addition, 120 Internet sites selling Audemars Piguet counterfeits were closed down and over 600 counterfeit products were withdrawn from eBay auction sites.
In short, anyone who wants to copy or replicate an Audemars Piguet, whether in plastic or metal, is warned...
