Your favorite player’s jersey, caps in the colors of your own country, or a scarf with your club’s logo: Any soccer fan worth their salt will be keen to show off their allegiance. Merchandise items are in greater demand than ever before, especially during major sporting events such as the European Championship that just ended. A welcome occasion for counterfeiters, who rake in big bucks with their counterfeit products – very much to the detriment of manufacturers of licensed products, who not only have to accept severe income losses, but also damage to their credibility among customers.

A recent report released by the Cologne customs authorities highlights the dimensions of product piracy surrounding major sporting events. Over the past few weeks, officials at Cologne/Bonn Airport have been able to seize a total of 11,222 Nike-branded counterfeit jerseys and jersey sets, with an estimated original value of almost €900,000.

In order to support manufacturers in their fight against such counterfeit products and to prevent cheap copies of merchandise items from entering the market, LEONHARD KURZ has developed the proven TRUSTSEAL® Protect concept. Please don’t hesitate to contact us!