November 2025
Brands and Advertising
UK IPO publishes campaign warning on counterfeit Labubu dolls
On 3 October 2025, the UK Intellectual Property Office published a campaign highlighting health and safety risks from counterfeit toys. Border Force has seized about 259,000 fake toys valued at over £3.5 million in 2025, with approx. 90% comprising counterfeit Labubu dolls. Testing shows about 75% of seized toys failed safety standards, including banned chemicals and choking hazards. The campaign, supported by Trading Standards, retailers and local authorities, seeks to raise awareness among consumers purchasing online and via marketplaces.
Businesses importing, selling or listing toys face heightened enforcement by Border Force and Trading Standards, with risks of product safety breaches, IP infringement, criminal sanctions and reputational harm. Retailers and marketplaces should strengthen supplier due diligence, verify UKCA or CE marks and UK contact details, check age warnings and recall status, and remove suspect listings.
Companies should review online content moderation and listing verification, train staff to spot counterfeits, cooperate with authorities, and update customer communications to warn about counterfeit risks and reporting channels.
Find out more about how to address lookalike products in the UK from Charlotte Peach, Louise Popple and Anneka Dalton here.
EUIPO publishes 2024 counterfeit seizures report and launches IP enforcement dashboard
On 1 October 2025, EUIPO and DG TAXUD published figures showing EU authorities seized over 112 million counterfeit items in 2024 with an estimated retail value of €3.8 billion. The update addresses coordinated IP enforcement by customs, police and market surveillance authorities across Member States and reports the highest recorded value of detentions despite fewer items than 2023.
The data shows a more valuable counterfeit mix, attributed to higher unit prices and increased sophistication, with infringement spanning toys, perfumes, cosmetics, clothing, recorded media, software, e‑cigarettes and vaping devices. Seven Member States generated 90% of volumes, namely Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Poland, and 90% of value was driven by Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Greece and Netherlands.
EUIPO launched the IP Enforcement Detentions Dashboard to enable interactive analysis across internal market and border detentions. Businesses should use the dashboard to identify high‑risk routes and product categories, prioritise brand protection in focus Member States, tighten supplier and distributor controls, and coordinate with customs for targeted enforcement.
Find out more about key legal and practical issues to consider when tackling anti-counterfeiting in our Anti-counterfeiting Guide.
Update for Louboutin's exclusive rights to red soles
On 25 September 2025, the São Paulo State Court issued a ruling granting Christian Louboutin exclusive rights over red soles on high-heeled shoes in Brazil, ordering Bruna Silvério Shoes to immediately cease the manufacture and sale of infringing products and prohibiting their sale of similar products. The Court awarded R$20,000 in moral damages, with material damages to be determined later. Judge Gustavo Cesar Mazutti of the 1st Business and Arbitration Conflicts Court also ordered Facebook to permanently remove infringing content hosted on its platforms.
The Court found unfair competition based on trade dress, noting that although trade dress is not formally registrable under Law No. 9.279/1996, it is protected under unfair competition provisions. The judge dispensed with expert evidence and considered the infringement obvious and likely to mislead consumers.
Businesses should assess product get-up risks, avoid red soles on high-heeled footwear in Brazil, and monitor the appeals. The decision signals increased reliance on unfair competition to protect unregistered trade dress and a greater likelihood of swift relief without expert reports.
Read more about protecting your trade mark in the UK and EU in this quick guide.
