FSC to increase trademark protection activity for 2004 garden furniture season - January 28th, 2004

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an independent international organisation offering standards and trademark assurance for products from responsibly managed forests, will step up its trademark protection activities over the coming European garden furniture season to prevent fraudulent and misleading use of its trademark.

FSC Head of Marketing and Communication Michael Spencer said: â??Licensed use of the distinctive FSC trademark on forest products has grown in recent years to the point where it is now used on thousands of different products worth billions of dollars to companies that have invested in FSC certificationâ??.

â??The growing value of the market for FSC labelled products will increase the temptation for unethical traders to attempt to â??free rideâ?? on the system. FSC needs to be prepared to deal with these â??free ridersâ?? swiftly and with the full force of the law. Where the laws cannot offer protection, we will use publicity through our network of non-government organisations to expose those intentionally abusing the system,â?? Spencer said.

FSC recently held a meeting with FSC certified producers including Precious Woods and ScanCom, retailers including JYSK Group/Dänisches Bettenlager and OBI, as well as the Swiss-based Tropical Forest Trust (TFT) to discuss potential threats to the integrity of the FSC system over the coming European garden furniture season. As a result, a fund has been established to support a special trademark protection project. FSC is expecting to build this fund through corporate contributions in the lead-up to this yearâ??s season.

The fund will be used to create rapid response systems to deal with reports of trademark abuse. This will include a telephone hotline as well as an internet-based reporting system. FSCâ??s existing network of trademark agents will receive additional support by will be provided to consumers, consumer organisations, market partners and non-government organisations interested in forest issues so their members can alert FSC if they notice stores or products where the trademark may be being misused.

This week, FSC accredited certification bodies, who certify producers of forest products and administer use of the trademark by FSC certificate holders, will be briefed on the program in Bonn. Accredited certification bodies will be asked to be especially vigilant in areas which have been identified as potential sources mislabelled product and to assist with prompt investigation of complaints, should they arise, so action can be taken.

A particular focus for this yearâ??s campaign will be garden furniture where cases of abuse have been reported in the past and where FSC undertook a special monitoring exercise last year. FSC will be approaching garden furniture manufactures committed to the FSC for their support and their assistance in building the trademark integrity fund that will protect their investment in responsible forest management.

This year FSC will also begin to develop a system of retailer registration so that retailers who are committed to providing their customers with products from responsibly managed forests can gain recognition from consumers as well as environmental and social activists. In return, these retailers will be expected to adhere to FSC standards for use of its trademark and commit to ensuring traceability of products labelled as FSC certified.

Background:

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, not for profit, non government organisation based in Bonn Germany providing standard setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services for companies and organisations interested in responsible forestry. Founded in 1993, FSCâ??s mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the worldâ??s forests. Itâ??s governance structure ensures that FSC is independent of any one interest group by requiring an equal balance in power between its environmental, social and economic chambers as well as a balance between interests from the economic north and south.

The FSC forest management standards are based on 10 Principles and Criteria for responsible forest management. FSC also provides Chain of Custody standards for manufacturers and processors of forest products. The Chain of Custody standards allow credible tracking of certified wood and wood products from certified forests through trade and manufacturing to committed retailers and consumers.

Over the past 10 years, 40 million hectares in more than 60 countries have been certified according to FSC standards while several thousand products are produced using FSC certified wood and carrying the FSC trademark. Major retailers in Europe, North America, South America and Asia ask for FSC certification when ordering forest products so they can assure their customers about the origin of the products they are buying. FSC operates through a network of National Initiatives in more than 30 countries.

Contact: Michael Spencer, FSC Head of Marketing and Communications Telephone: +49 228 367 66 40 E-mail: spencer@fscoax.org

Further information is available on www.fscoax.org

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