Half of Russia’s Cell Phones Counterfeit or Contraband

According to the recent estimates of Mobiset.ru, Russia’s telecommunications portal, two to three percent of cell phones in Russia are counterfeit and around 50 percent are contraband.

Counterfeit phones mostly originate in China and range from low to high-quality copies. The most commonly copied brands include Nokia, BlackBerry, iPhone and Apple.

According to the Moscow Times, a Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition phone costs EUR 7,480 (USD 10,500) in an official Vertu shop while it is sold for only EUR 196 (USD 267) on Moscow’s street markets.

According to the article, the Russian customs officials discovered 7 million counterfeit items and initiated more than 1,000 legal proceedings across the country in the first two weeks of 2010 alone.

For more information, please contact Jelena Jankovic in our Balkan Regional Office.

Source: The Moscow Times