Press & PR

An industry commentator has said that the internet is now the biggest source of counterfeit good sales, with auction sites trading many fake items on a daily basis.

Ruth Orchard, director general of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group has said that internet service providers need to do more to tackle the growing problem.

She adds that while it is difficult to quantify the true extent to which fake goods are changing hands, in some product areas as many as 90 per cent of items traded may be counterfeit.

Ms Orchard also commented on the effect that it can have on companies: "You're talking about confidence in the brand, the economic impact, what the money's going to when it goes to the counterfeiters - it [can] go onto organised crime."

To tackle the problem, broadband providers should look to introduce a three-strike programme similar to that in place in France, under which repeat offenders can have their internet accounts frozen.

A recent poll by the BBC estimated that the sale of counterfeit goods cost the UK economy around £11 billion in 2007.

Vonage offers a secure internet phone service that gives users control over their calling, with a real-time account management system allowing customers to keep a check on the calls they make.