The jury met on January 14 + 15, 2022 (corona-compliant, 2G+) and awarded three main prizes, one special award and four tied awards.
The products awarded the negative "Plagiarius" prize once again show the enormous range of industries affected by plagiarism. Of course, the "Plagiarius" award says nothing about whether the imitation in question is legally permitted or illegal. The Plagiarius campaign cannot pronounce law. However, it can draw attention to the problems of affected companies and express the opinion "that clumsy 1:1 imitations are unimaginative and morally reprehensible and lead to stagnation".
Photos: left original - right plagiarism / forgery
Exception 1st prize, last award: above original / below fake
1st prize - "KLIKK" cutlery set (3-piece) - sold as part of a promotional campaign
Above originals: koziol "ideas for friends GmbH, Erbach, Germany
Below Counterfeits: Distribution: Are Media Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW, Australia
Production: PR China
Compact. Clever. Sustainable. What looks so simple at first glance is actually extremely complex in its fine construction. The award-winning KLIKK reusable cutlery set impresses with its intelligent plug-in connection and sustainable material and manufacturing concept. Australia's 'leading premium' publishing house for women's magazines used a very low-quality plagiarism of the cutlery as part of a loyalty campaign. As much attention was paid to an exact match in terms of appearance, so little value was placed on durability. The counterfeit is made of unsuitable plastic, which deforms after a very short time, rendering the cutlery completely unusable after just a few uses. Even the low price - around a third of the original price - cannot make up for this.
2nd prize - Pressure measuring device (use: in chemical and process engineering processes)
Left Original: WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG, Klingenberg, Germany
Right Counterfeit: Distributed by: Abdullah Corporation, Dhaka, Bangladesh
(Pressure) measuring instruments are essential in mechanical engineering, automation, the food and pharmaceutical industries as well as in chemical and process engineering processes. WIKA products stand for precision, quality and safety, even at extreme temperatures or in highly aggressive media. The inferior brand counterfeits from South East Asia are neither reliably precise nor robust against shocks. This counterfeiter not only misuses the globally protected "WIKA" brand, he also misleads buyers with "Made in Germany" about the true origin. CT examinations carried out by Klostermann 3D Messtechnik reveal, among other things, that the counterfeit measuring spring is too small and that there are no fine adjustment options, so that the declared measuring accuracy - class 1.0 according to EN837-1 - cannot be achieved. The potential danger of incorrectly regulated pressure is high, as are the consequential costs. This is why WIKA always takes decisive action against counterfeiting.
3rd prize - Double-row "INA" axial angular contact ball bearing (precision bearing for screw drives)
Left Original: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Herzogenaurach, Germany
Right counterfeit: GIANT Bearing Co, Ltd, Jiangsu, PR China
GIANT shamelessly copies and counterfeits everything: from products, packaging and the brand names of renowned manufacturers such as Schaeffler, to dealer certificates, Data Matrix codes and bank confirmations. Everything except the product quality. Precision and reliability play an enormous role in products that are used in machine tools, among other things. 3D scanning by Klostermann 3D Messtechnik reveals considerable deviations in dimensional accuracy and manufacturing quality, with unforeseeable consequences depending on the installation situation. The damage is not only for Schaeffler, but also for dealers, who are liable for the inferior quality, and for customers, who have to bear the consequences for man and machine. Schaeffler therefore consistently protects and defends its intellectual property worldwide.
Special Hyena Award - "KNIPEX TwinKey" switch cabinet key
Center Original: KNIPEX-Werk C. Gustav Putsch KG, Wuppertal, Germany
Outside Counterfeits: Various online retailers, mainly from the People's Republic of China (14 examples from 9,500+)
Sale e.g. via: Amazon.de / Amazon.fr / Amazon.com/USA; Alibaba.com; Taobao.com/China; 1688.com/China; banggood.com
KNIPEX has had 9,500 illegal TwinKey offers removed from online platforms in the last three years. What is special about the original: The ingenious, patent-protected solution, which uses a magnet to combine two multifunctional keys with a total of ten profiles in a very compact, star-shaped arrangement, but which can be easily separated for use. Various court decisions confirm the "competitive character" of the original, i.e. imitators act unfairly and deceive buyers about the origin. The extremely low prices of counterfeit products are reflected in cheap materials and poor workmanship, and the magnet often does not work or comes loose from its attachment.
Award - "GERMENS" artist shirt "ALNUSO"
Left Original: GERMENS artfashion - Markeking GmbH, Chemnitz, Germany
Right Plagiarism: Distribution: Gabano UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Melle, Germany
Manufacturer: Gabano Fashion Design Agency / Gabano Group, Istanbul, Turkey
GERMENS shirts stand for high-quality fabrics and unusual designs created by artists. The colors and the art motifs that characterize the overall impression of the shirts shown here - and many other Gabano plagiarisms - have been adopted almost 1:1, only the arrangement and tiny details have been changed or the view rotated. Gabano's German website is in English and does not contain an imprint. The address given on Facebook is also not available. Trendy buzzword buttons such as "design process" and "sustainable production" lead nowhere. A German online retailer offered the plagiarism for a seventh of the original. He has signed a cease-and-desist declaration.
Award - Cutlery set "KLIKK POCKET" for on the go (3 pieces)
Left Originals: koziol "ideas for friends GmbH, Erbach, Germany
Right Plagiarism: Distribution via: "de.shein.com", Fastfashion online store
Operator SHEIN upon discovery of the counterfeit: ZoeTop Business Co, Ltd, Hong Kong
The functional reusable cutlery KLIKK POCKET is ideal for on the go and meets the spirit of the times: compact, robust and 100% recyclable. Koziol has registered EU-wide design protection for the award-winning cutlery - as for all its products. Low-cost supplier SHEIN recruited customers via Google Adwords and social media and offered the visually identical but unstable plagiarism in 4 colors - for less than a third of the original price. The packaging of the counterfeit product features 5 certificate labels that are supposed to attest to its sustainability, quality and safety. It is questionable whether the test centers have ever tested the material and the cheap product.
Award - Volkswagen wheel trim with "VW" logo
Left original: Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, Germany
Counterfeit on the right: Manufacturer: Murama S.r.l., Turin, Italy
Distribution: various online dealers (D / EU), via eBay.de and Amazon.de
"Not an original product, but interchangeable". This is unabashedly engraved on every counterfeit "VW" hubcap. Murama offers other car brands as an option. Price: 25% of the original. This is reflected in cheap materials and a lack of stability. VW protects its intellectual property worldwide and consistently enforces its rights. A German online retailer signed a cease-and-desist declaration and submitted. The Italian manufacturer refused to sign a cease-and-desist declaration. Despite the obvious trademark infringement, (lengthy) legal proceedings are therefore pending against Murama in Italy.
Award - CanadianCat food bar "Cat Diner", with separate cat grass bowl
Above original: Wagner Pet Products Group, Geilenkirchen, Germany
Below Plagiarism: Distribution: German discounter and (s)a German supplier / theme promoter
The original: Smart (protected) design, well thought-out ergonomics, high-quality appearance. The idea, shapes, colors and arrangement of the elements were adopted almost 1:1. The low price, a fifth of the original, is reflected in the materials and fine construction. The food bowls in the plagiarized version are not made of dimensionally stable and heat-resistant ceramic, but of cheap plastic. The bowls do not sit securely in the recess, i.e. they slide back and forth uncontrollably and rattle loudly when eating. Due to the clear design violation and in the interest of a quick, unbureaucratic settlement, the supplier / theme promoter of the German discounter was prepared to settle the case amicably out of court.
