15. May 2007.

A network of porcelain counterfeiters have been discovered by the Hungarian Police authorities, following a 12 months investigation. According to Herend's managing director, Attila Simon such counterfeiting activity is not uncommon in case of brands that have a strong recognition on the world market.

While some resemble the genuine items, most of these pieces turn out to be counterfeits. The investigation started in early 2006, after the discovery of several "suspicious" looking Herend products on the Internet web-site operator e-Bay and claims from US consumers with negative experiences having made purchases from this source. Such counterfeit pieces have been sent back to the Herend manufactory, later forwarded to the police authorities. Following these incidents e-Bays web-site has been monitored regularly and counterfeits were requested to be taken off. Despite these efforts the number of counterfeit pieces increased - Simon claims to have discovered at least 150 items in a matter of months and this is just the "tip of the iceberg".

On May 15th a massive force of about 100 police officers raided close to 30 locations of warehouse, retail and even manufacturing facilities in Budapest and in the vicinity of Veszprem county. 16 individuals were detained by the police, including several current and previous employees of the world famous manufactory. Several truck loads of fake porcelain, raw materials and different manufacturing equipment were seized. What I find especially disappointing - says Simon - is that with their activity these persons jeopardize the reputation of their own company and deprive work from their fellow workers. The value of the damages is being assessed and may reach several hundred million Hungarian Forints HUF. (1 USD = 185 HUF) To the frequently asked question of how can consumers be sure of purchasing genuine Herend Porcelain, Simon explains there are authorized Herend retail stores in Hungary and on their export markets around the world. Such stores can be found on the official web-site of the manufactory www.herend.com . It is safest to purchase from such stores and avoid cheap but suspicious vendors. Herend is committed to take all necessary measures against counterfeits in order to ensure that only authentic Herend Porcelain is present on the market.