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Year after year, we yearn for holidays, preferably by the sea, to sunbathe, to take a dip,to swim, to eat tasty Bolas de Berlim (whose fillings surprise me year after  year for their diversity: they are no longer just simple or with cream, now we can choose an endless and greedy array of fillings like hazelnut, chocolate,  carob,  passion fruit, raspberry etc ... simply irresistible!), read that book we bought especially for the holidays…. All this to recover from the hustle and  bustle of a year with demanding routines and recharge batteries to startanother one.

Due to the current pandemic situation and the demanding social confinement and distance (which, in reality, should be called 'physical' and not 'social') imposed to  all Portuguese people, the return to the beaches in 2020 was more desired than ever! Obviously, this year we came across a different beach: traffic lights and  disinfectant gel at the door, mandatory use of a mask in the beach  bars/restaurants, greater distance between awnings, etc….

But despite these differences, the tradition has remained unchanged regarding the sale of Bolas de Berlim. But not only… ..We continued to watch the sale of countless counterfeit products by immigrants, invariably from Africa (the vast  majority from Senegal and Morocco). And just like the Bolas de Berlim (these  originals ...), bags, wallets, and counterfeit glasses, from prestigious brands, continued to be bought by vacationers. Neither with COVID-19 was thereany truce in the world of ‘counterfeiting’, neither by those who do it, nor by those who sell and buy!

In Portugal, in 2019, 1,467,561 ‘counterfeit or pirated’ goods were seized  by the entities that make up the GAC - Grupo Anti-Contrafação, according to the 2019 Activities Report.

According  to this document, which presents statistical data on infringements of  intellectual property rights and lists the activities of this Group, counterfeiting and piracy continue, on a global scale, to grow, with serious  repercussions on the correct functioning of the economy, putting at risk jobs, affecting state tax revenues, and harming consumers who purchase products, many of which endanger their safety and public health.

In fact, about 60% of the total products seized in 2019 are clothing and food and  beverages. But in addition to these, we have toys, medicines, parts for cars  and planes, cosmetics, etc….

Since 2010, GAC has promoted several excellent initiatives to raise public awareness of the  risks associated with the consumption of counterfeit or pirated goods.

However, and returning to the example of the beach, in the act of buying counterfeit  products, namely bags, wallets, glasses, 'brand' clothing - transversal to the whole society, since they buy both the richest and the poorest - the vast majority of consumers, despite being aware of the purchase of a counterfeit  product, are not aware of how much it is hurting the economy.

In view of the imperative need to aware those who contribute to the increase, year after year, of this scourge, which severely harms everyone, I leave here a suggestion for next summer: launching a communication campaign at the entrance to the beaches, to raise awareness among the Portuguese about this nefarious reality,  remembering that, all together, by not buying counterfeit products, we can make a difference. Society thanks you. The national economy too.