Tanzania increases powers to seize counterfeits

AllAfrica reports that a new law giving powers to Tanzania's Fair Competition Commission (FCC) to take action against dealers of counterfeit goods will come into force this year. The FCC is currently only allowed to impound counterfeit goods at the point of entry, in most cases the ports. The existing legal framework for fighting counterfeits in Tanzania was the Merchandise Marks Act, 1963 CAP.85 RE 2002 (formerly CAP.519) as amended in 2004, which makes dealing in counterfeit goods a criminal offence. Remarkably this Act came into force on 15 April 2005 - 42 years after its enactment.