Parallel imports is a very hot topic indeed, with those retailers who wish to secure low prices for their customers taking advantage of the EU rules which permit free movement of goods within the EU once they have been placed on the market by or with the consent of the brand owner, but with brand owners understandably concerned in case less scrupulous suppliers take advantage of the rules relating to genuine parallel imports so as to bring non-EU goods or even counterfeits into the supply chain.

The IP team has developed expertise in clearing, on behalf of retail clients, genuine parallel imports by establishing stringent standards of supply-chain analysis, and identifying potential problem areas in the field. It also advises brand owners as to what their rights are when people act outside the law