Derry City and Strabane District Council have joined the Real Deal initiative to promote only legal sellers and goods at its markets to help prevent members of the public receiving fake goods.

Derry City and Strabane District Council operates two markets, the Walled City Market and Strabane Market, which both showcase a variety of local food produce and craft design works. Nicolle Walters, Market Development Officer at Derry City and Strabane District Council, said market traders were supportive of the Real Deal campaign and are committed, alongside Council and its partners, to providing safe and legal goods at the markets.

She added: “Council is committed to eliminating the sale of fake, illegal or unsafe goods at its markets and continues to work with the relevant authorities to do so. As part of the Real Deal scheme, shoppers should be assured that goods and services purchased at any council markets are safe, genuine, reliable and legal.

“The Walled City Market operates in Derry’s Guildhall Square on the first Saturday of each month and the Strabane Market operates in the Courtyard of the Alley Theatre on the last Friday of each month. Both markets have been well received by local traders, local shoppers and visitors to both areas each month.

“We believe this new quality standard will further strengthen our offer to shoppers and provide a reassurance that the goods on sale at both council markets are the ‘real deal’. By setting this standard we also expect to encourage local traders, food producers and craft workers to get more involved with our markets and help set a standard for trading.”
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Gloucestershire County Council’s Trading Standards Service is launching their ‘Real Deal’ agreement for local councils in the county.
The ‘Real Deal’ campaign is a nation-wide initiative that makes sure markets are run legally and have a working relationship with Trading Standards. The scheme is designed to promote legal sellers and goods in market places to help prevent members of the public being sold fakes.
The first agreement in the county will be signed by Gloucester City Council this week who regularly hold markets in the city centre.
Cllr Nigel Moor, cabinet member responsible for trading standards at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “It is important to ensure legitimate traders are protected and those who feel they can make easy money are deterred at the earliest stage.
“This is an exciting new venture for us, and many other authorities around the country have seen significant improvement in enforcement and relationships when it comes to making sure market traders are not selling fake goods.”
Cllr Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: “I’m delighted to be leading the way in the county by signing up to the Real Deal campaign.
“This is a great initiative that will see us working together with trading standards to protect consumers and local businesses from the harm caused by the trade in counterfeit goods.”
Patricia Lennon, of the Real Deal campaign, said: “We are delighted to welcome Eastgate Market and Kings Square Market into the ‘Real Deal’ scheme. By signing the Real Deal Charter, both markets can now display the Real Deal logo, giving an assurance to their shoppers and acts as a deterrent to any rogue traders.
“We would like to thank the city council’s markets team and Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards service for working together to protect consumers and local businesses from the harm caused by the trade in counterfeit goods.”

Today (5 July 2017) is British IP Day, celebrating the contribution that Intellectual Property (IP) makes to the national and local economy. Many of the UK’s most successful companies, from Marks and Spencer to fashion brand Superdry, started life on a local market. This blog by Eddy Leviten, Director General of the Alliance for IP, explains how a successful IP economy impacts all businesses, from the largest manufacturers to individual market traders. Read more here …. https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/2017/07/04/british-ip-day-2017/

More market and car boot sale organisers in Staffordshire are joining a national campaign to ensure goods sold at their event are legitimate and that visitors aren’t ripped off.

The county council has signed its fourth Real Deal agreement with the management team of the district council-run market in Cannock town centre. The campaign aims to promote a fair and safe trading environment, including ensuring markets are free from counterfeit goods. The campaign brings together councils, market operators, traders, industry groups and copyright and trademark owners. Event organisers signing up to the Real Deal charter are demonstrating their commitment to tackling counterfeit goods sales and keeping visitors safe.

Staffordshire County Council’s communities leader Gill Heath said: “It’s pleasing to see another market organiser sign up to the Real Deal charter. We’re asking other market and car boot event organisers across the county to get on board and sign up. The more we have signed up, the harder it will be for counterfeit traders to operate in Staffordshire. By signing up, they are making a commitment to tackle the problem of counterfeit goods sales and sending out a message that their events are safe and have responsible traders. Counterfeit goods can cause real harm, for example if they are cosmetic or electrical items and they also damage our economy. “It is in everyone’s interests to combat the sale of such goods and it is important we all work together to do this.”
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MFR Cash for Kids Charity Car Boot Sale is the latest recruit to be signed up by Highland Council Trading Standards to join the Real Deal scheme. The scheme was launched six years ago in a bid to stamp out the illegal trade in fake goods at markets and to ensure businesses are fully compliant with the relevant laws.
Organisations throughout the UK have signed up to the Real Deal markets’ charter, a nationwide initiative that encourages local authority Trading Standards and market operators to work closely together and share information so that local markets and car boot sales remain free from counterfeit goods and are a safe environment in which to shop and trade.
The Real Deal logo is a sign for good practice and ensures traders selling counterfeit goods such as clothing, handbags, perfume, cigarettes and DVDs will not be allowed to participate at the venue. The logo will be displayed at the car boot sale on the 21st May at the Black isle Show Ground which indicates to visitors and the traders selling at the car boot sale that the charity abides by the terms of the charter and in agreement with Trading Standards. Continue reading →

As part of the NABMA Diploma in Market Administration, students attend three two-day courses in Derby, one of which is dedicated to trading standards law in relation to trademark and copyright infringement. At this year’s session, Gavin Terry, Chartered Trading Standards Institute Lead Officer for IP, gave a fascinating overview of intellectual property law which prompted a wide range of questions from delegates and a healthy debate. Patricia Lennon’s follow-up presentation on the Real Deal was also well-received by those attending as it outlined how simple procedures and working closely with trading standards can be hugely beneficial to market managers in preventing IP infringement at their venues.

Market officers seeking simple hints and tips and the law relating to this subject, will find the leaflet How to Stay IP Legal helpful, it can be downloaded here.  Another useful source of information is the CTSI Business Companion website.

Market officers interested in undertaking the DMA course in 2018, should contact NABMA’s Professional Development Consultant – Stephen Pickering by email on: diploma@nabma.com

PEOPLE are being urged to be vigilant and avoid buying counterfeit goods if they’re heading to one of Staffordshire’s Easter bank holiday markets or car boot sales.

The first bank holiday of the year also marks the beginning of the car boot sale and markets season.

Staffordshire County Council’s trading standards manager Brandon Cook said: “Bank holiday markets are great family events and we support the organisers running them. We’re part of the national Real Deal markets campaign which encourages market event organisers to help us in tackling counterfeit goods sales.

“We want people to avoid the pitfalls of counterfeit goods this holiday weekend and throughout the year – protecting themselves and legitimate businesses.

“Counterfeit goods are increasingly hard to detect just to look at, so when something is being sold at a knock-down price, people should be extremely wary. We always say that if a price of an item is too good to be true, it usually is.

“Anyone who buys counterfeit goods will land themselves with shoddy goods which may be dangerous and at the same time line criminals’ pockets.”

Anyone wanting to report counterfeit goods sales can call the anonymous Staffordshire Fight the Fakes line on 01785 330356.

Read more – http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk/stay-safe-and-avoid-counterfeits-this-bank-holiday/story-30260955-detail/story.html

Picture above shows the launch of the Real Deal Charter at Ashwood Car Boot Fair last year, one of several in the county with more to follow.

Shoppers at Eastleigh Market can rest assured they won’t be buying fakes this Christmas, after traders signed up to the Real Deal Campaign to stop the sale of counterfeit goods.

Hampshire County Council Trading Standards and Eastleigh Borough Council have teamed up with local traders on the Real Deal Charter, to prevent fake, illicit and potentially dangerous goods being sold to shoppers.  Continue reading →

In the run-up to Christmas, Leighton Linslade Town Council has teamed up with Central Bedfordshire Council’s Trading Standards team and local traders to launch the Real Deal charter at the historic Leighton Buzzard market, which has been a feature of the town since c1086. The market is the first in Central Bedfordshire to sign up to the Real Deal charter which works to prevent fake, illicit and potentially dangerous goods being sold to shoppers. Read more here . . . 

Ross Ballinger, 16, from Stone Staffordshire was named National Young Trader of the Year for his business Phoenix Engravers

Setting out on the right foot in retail business means being aware of the legal responsibilities of trading including intellectual property law. Read more about how the NMTF’s National Youth Market initiative is helping young traders on their first steps . . . Continue reading →