Ficci helpline to tackle piracy cases

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) is planning a helpline which will help companies and consumers fight cases of counterfeiting and intellectual property rights violations.

The helpline will be set up under the brand protection committee (BPC) of the federation.

The facility will be chaired by retired senior army and police officers, industry members and lawyers.

"Our aim is to provide a neutral platform for those who are fighting against piracy," said Sushil Jiwarajka, chairman, western regional council, Ficci.

"Counterfeiting is not just about making a replica of a product or a company losing money or its brand reputation. Many a times it is used as a tool to legalise funds needed for anti-social activities," said Jiwarajka.

The Ficci BPC is a member of the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group, an international forum to track the source of counterfeiting activities and take action on them.

In BPC's offing are consumer awareness programmes, information sharing between global as well as domestic industry players and database of anti-piracy service providers.

The committee will also suggest changes needed in the legal system to fight counterfeiting and will work with the police and judicial authorities in various regions.

FICCI has also set up an interactive website called fake-busters.com which works as a platform for various industries.