The deputy secretary general of the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (Fesi), Youri Mercier, and other Fesi members took the stage at the EU conference on Intellectual Property Rights Border Measures in Moscow on May 30, to discuss anti-counterfeiting measures ahead of the Fifa World Cup. The tournament will take place in Russia from June 14 to July 15. The conference gathered more than 150 participants, including representatives from Russia's Ministry of Sport and Trade, Fifa, the Russian Customs Academy and others. Fesi delegates illustrated through practical cases how to detect counterfeit sporting goods. This information is expected to help customs officials and police in view of the football mega event when detaining and seizing goods at the border or within the territory of Russia. Discussions at the conference also dealt with the practical applicability of standard risk analysis and other techniques in enhancing border enforcement, and how to increase the effectiveness of local enforcement measures in preventing the counterfeit of sporting goods. Fesi represents the interests of around 1,800 sporting goods makers through its 12 national sporting goods industry federations across Europe and its directly affiliated member companies.

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