The difficulty of combating counterfeiting in the woodworking machinery industry was a hot topic at Eumabois‘ latest general assembly.
Eumabois, the European Federation of Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers, said the display of totally or partially “copied” machines at exhibitions was a problem keenly felt by machinery associations.
The general assembly, which met in the Czech Republic, heard that counterfeiting or lack of compliance with patents was liable to prosecution by most countries. But confiscation of such machines was not easy because customs authorities needed to act quickly, especially for exhibitions which last just one weekend.
Eumabois has now invited fair organisers to add a specific paragraph to exhibitors’ handbooks stating that counterfeiting represents unfair illegal behaviour punishable by law.
The organisation has also decided to continue to support the TC142 working group’s efforts to harmonise and standardise the woodworking industry. Some 30 technical standards have already been approved.
Meanwhile, the growth in the Chinese economy has led Eumabois to appoint consultants to carry out a study on development trends likely to characterise Chinese production of woodworking machinery, with a focus on the remedial measure needed to be adopted by European manufacturers.
