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Police clamps down on sellers of fake printer cartridges in various raids
September 20, 2007

Elements of the Anti-Transnational Crime Division ("ATCD") of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group swooped down on distributors of counterfeit HP and Canon printer ink cartridges operating in Dagupan City and Makati City in various enforcement actions recently. 

The police seized hundreds of fake Canon ink cartridges from Maya Emporium in Dagupan City on April 13, 2004. A certain Nathurmal Merchandani owns Maya Emporium, a well-known commercial establishment in Dagupan City.

The enforcement action was prompted by a letter-complaint from Bengzon Negre Untalan Intellectual Property Attorneys, Canon Inc.'s counsel and authorized representative in the Philippines. Judge Meliton G. Emuslan of the RTC Urdaneta City, Branch 47 issued Search Warrant No. U-466 against Maya Emporium. 

The raid was the second against Maya Emporium. Sometime in July of last year, members of the Intellectual Property Rights Division of the National Bureau of Investigation also searched said establishment and confiscated numerous fake HP and Canon ink toners and cartridges. 

Not too long after the Dagupan raid, the same ATCD, PNP-CIDG operatives carried out simultaneous enforcement actions against four establishments located in various parts of Makati City, namely: ADDJ Trading, ADSG Enterprises, Super LG Toner Haus and United Associated Products on May 20, 2004. The police confiscated numerous counterfeit HP and Canon ink products from these establishments. The joint simultaneous raids were undertaken on the strength of eight search warrants issued by Judge Nemesio S. Felix of RTC Makati City, Branch 56.

The lawyers of Canon already filed criminal complaints for violations of R.A. No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code) against Nathurmal Merchandani, owner of Maya Emporium. Meanwhile, counsel for Hewlett-Packard Company and Canon, Inc. are preparing criminal charges against the owners of the erring establishments in Makati City.

The series of enforcements is part of an ongoing campaign waged by HP and Canon against counterfeiters of ink products.

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