1 TEXTILE USER GUIDEA MANUAL TO IDENTIFY AUTHENTIC TEXTILES FROM PIRATED ONES

2 Table of content

IntroductionTextiles in GhanaTextile piracy

3Introduction

This is an electronic user guide containing samples of original

and pirated African textile prints and the corresponding logos and

trademarks of the Ghana textile print(GTP) and Akosombo textiles

Limited(ATL).There are different forms of piracy, there is the

pirating of the African print(colour, motifs, wax effects and motif

arrangements) and there is the pirating of the textile company’s

trademarks, logos, registration numbers among others.

This guide seeks ,to serve as one among the numerous frame

work of procedures through which unfair trade practices including

evasion of the imported duties, pirating of patent and trademarks,

smuggling among others could be limited and also guide in the

reconsidering of the general public’s textiles choice of purchase.

4Ghana textile Industries

Textile manufacturing in Ghana is an industry consisting of

ginneries and textile mills producing batiks, wax cloth, fancy

printed cloth and kente cloth.

Firms were located in Ghana to serve local and regional

markets with printed African patterned fabrics which showed

signs of significant growth in recent years and promoted high-

quality traditionally designed fabrics to niche markets,

especially the U.S and it contributed significantly to the

country’s Gross Domestic Product,(GDP).

5

Textile piracy

Piracy as it exists refers to the

unauthorized duplication of copyright

content that is sold at a lower price,

over the years piracy has become

more rampant and affecting the

country’s economy. The chief

commissioning officer of the Ministry

of Trade and Industry tariff Advisory

Board, indicated that over 6,000

pieces of the pirated fabrics have so

far being destroyed nationwide

6CONFISICATED IMPORTED PRINTS

7CONFISICATED IMPORTED PRINTS

8

AKOSOMBO TEXTILES LIMITED

9 PIRATED ORIGINAL

10GURANTEE ABC WAX

A. WITH THE ORIGINAL ABC WAX THE LABEL IS GOLD IN

COLOUR WHILES IN THE PIRATED THE LABEL IS

YELLOWISH GOLD.

B. IN THE ORIGINAL THERE IS NO WRITING IN THE

WHITE AREA OF THE LABEL,THE YARNS ARE NEVER

STATED NOR THE NUMBER BUT SOMETIMES ALL

YOU WILL HAVE ON IT IS THE BARCODE OTHER

TIMES NOTHING AT ALL IN THIS CASE BUT IS

OTHERWISE WITH THE IMITATED GURANTEED WAX

11 ORIGINAL PIRATED

12ABC BLOCK PRINT SUPER WAXA. As at present the original super wax has a significant label

where on the original label the writings are in gold of which it

can not wash off unlike the imitated labels

B. The green outline around the writing ‘Super wax’ is very thin as

to the imitated where it is a little thicker.

C. In the white area of the original label there are few or no writings

at all. Even if there is it will be the kind of effect in the fabric

example wax,spoon etc meaning in the fabric there should be

pictures of spoon or wax in the fabric where in the pirated print

that is not the case the effects are mostly not in the cloth.

D. From the feel of the label to the original label is soft while the

imitated feels hard

PIRATED ORIGINAL 13

14ORIGINAL AKOSOMBO STYLE

A. THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS BY WHICH ORIGINAL

AKOSOBO STILL IS IMITATED BUT FROM MY FINDING ONE

WAY IS WITH THE IMITATED THE LOGO IS WRONGLY

DESIGNEDFRON THE ABRREVIATION TO THE LOGO OF THE

STOOL.

B. INSIDE THE LABEL OF THE ORIGINAL THERE IS A PLAIN

RECTANGULAR SHAPE AT THE LOWER RIGHT HAND

CORNER BUT IN THE IMITATED INSIDE THE WHITE

RECTANGULAR SHAPE IS THE BARCODE.

C. IN THE ORIGNAL LABEL IT IS SPECIFIED THE USE OF THIS

PARTICULAR LABEL WHICH IS FOR BLACK AND WHITE

PRINTS BUT IN THE IMITATED IT IS NOT SPECIFED.

15ORIGINAL(REAL WAX PRINTS)

16 WITH GURANTEED AND FINEST REAL WAX

PRINTS IT COMES IN FOUR VARYING

FORMS.

CREAM WITH BLACK BOARDER LINES.

GOLD WITH DARK GREEN BOARDER

LINES.

GOLD WITH GREEN BOARDER LINES.

GOLD WITH DARK RED BOARDER LINES.

ASIDE THESE FEATURES ARE OTHER

SUCH AS INSIDE THE WHITE

RECTANGULAR AREA

THE FABRIC YARDS IS STATED ,THE FABRIC

DESGIN IS STATED AND WITHNTHIS WHAT

EVERY FABRIC EFFECT THAT IS INSCRIPTED

SHOULD BE VISIBLE IN THE PRINT.

17

THE LABEL FOR FANCY PRINT IS NOW REPLACED WITH ATL PREMIUM

ORIGINAL LABELS FOR FANCY PRINTS

18

New label for all fancy prints This new replacement for fancy

print is not yet very much

discovered by the piraters,so if

as at present any print is

producted with the old fancy

print label then it is imitated.

19

original pirated

Prestige Damask.Bazin

20

A. From observersation with the original prestige label the the

colour of the label is gold and black whiles with the

imitated is yellowish gold in colour.

B. Further observation shows that the imitated label replaced

with a squared label with information and the original label

has a circular label with designed edges which simply has

a central design of the prestige motif of two fishes.

21

DA VIVA PRINTS

22Imitated daviva prints by inscriptions

23

In Da Viva prints there is never a print produced by MARI TEX. VARUN or GIVO. They are all forged brands. So when purchasing a Da Viva print and u notice these names and more they are all imitated. NOTE : that every

DaViva brand has a special label colour it comes in.

24 Original Da ViVA labels

25

Retro by Da Viva is black and cream with no added information on the label

Gold by Da Viva is used for Da Viva prints with gold colour in them and the label is dark brown and gold in colour.

ORIGINAL DA VIVA LABELS

26

Ultimate by Da Viva only comes in black and white with a registered trademark at the top right corner .

Skin by Da Viva only comes in cream and black if anything aside that is seen on the market note that it is imitated

ORIGINAL DA VIVA LABELS

27

It should be noted that Da Viva doesn't produce batik print and notice that the label of ultimate by Da Viva has no registered trademark.

In theres of feel the fabric feels stiff and like that of a wall paper rather than a cloth. It has not the least feel of cotton.

IMITATED DA VIVA IN BATIK

28

The brand name says it all there is no original Da Viva called ‘Viva Wax”.

It should be noted that Da Viva doesn't produce batik print and notice that the label of ultimate by Da Viva has no registered trademark.

IMITATED DA VIVA IN BATIK

29IMITATED DA VIVA PRINT IN BATIK