Protection of IP
At the Bandai Namco Group, we are working on measures to protect our IP from infringement by closely cooperating with external partners in order to deliver safe and secure products and services to customers as well as protect their worldviews.
Measures against Counterfeit Products and Pirated Versions
Implement thorough measures against counterfeit products
The Bandai Namco Group is working with rights holder organizations and authorities in various countries to promote the protection of IPs, including taking action against counterfeit products, in an effort to strengthen infringement countermeasures and promote understanding of IPs. In this way, the Group is striving to protect the worldview of its IPs and ensure the safety and security of its products and services.
As one facet of measures to address counterfeit products, Bandai Spirits applies stickers with special specifications featuring forgery prevention processing that certify its products are genuine. These stickers are applied to all TAMASHII NATIONS brand products (excluding some products) for mature fan collectors.
Working with various institutions to eliminate counterfeit products and raise awareness
To eliminate counterfeit products, we are promoting initiatives not only with our own company but also in close cooperation with external partners and the government.
Bandai Namco and Bandai Spirits implement measures to stop counterfeit markets and websites in Japan and overseas and file injunctions with Japan Customs against import/export to quickly detect counterfeit products, stop their proliferation, and eliminate them altogether.
As an example, in fiscal 2024, we simultaneously uncovered a group overseas manufacturing counterfeit Mobile Suit Gundam products, seizing approximately 19,000 counterfeit finished products and approximately 39,500 runner parts. In addition, to combat counterfeit products on e-commerce sites globally, we utilize an AI-based anti-infringement system, which removes more than 30,000 counterfeit products per year. We are working to further strengthen cooperation with governments, including by paying courtesy visits to the local authorities who conducted crackdowns.
In fiscal 2024, Bandai Namco Experience also implemented measures on a total of 48 occasions to eliminate infringements of counterfeit products and illegal videos. These included administrative crackdowns on counterfeits of the arcade game SWEET LAND 5 in China, the deletion of emulator-related information for the Wangan MIDNIGHT MAXIMUM TUNE series, and the deletion of unauthorized videos of the stage play LIAR GAME Murder Mystery.
In November 2024, the International Intellectual Property Protection Forum (IIPPF) hosted the third installment of an event for Generation Z to raise awareness of IPs in Nagoya. The theme of the event, which aimed to educate participants about the reality of counterfeit products, was “Forefront of the World’s Battle against Counterfeits—A Better Society Made Possible with Intellectual Property.” At the event, presentations and panel discussions were held to introduce the current situation regarding the growing number of counterfeit products in online transactions across the globe, efforts by companies combating counterfeit products, and the dangers of counterfeit products. IP representatives of Bandai, an IIPPF member, also took to the stage to make a presentation.
In addition to events, we also utilize social media such as video sharing sites to have users watch educational videos we have created, further strengthening our efforts to eradicate counterfeit products.
In this way, the Bandai Namco Group is working with external partners, various organizations in each country, and authorities to further promote the protection of IP, including taking action against counterfeit products, thereby strengthening infringement countermeasures and raising awareness of IP.
Process Used to Eliminate Counterfeit Products
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