Photo/Illutration Copies of name-brand products (Shoko Mifune)

Tokyo Customs has halted imports of 26,697 electric appliances between January and June this year, citing copyright infringement, officials said.

The number reached a record high for the fourth year in a row.

Many of these are earphones, charging cables and other items modeled after genuine products manufactured by Apple Inc. and other big-name companies, they added.

"As smartphones have become widely available, an increasing number of people buy them as fashion items," an official said.

Goods infringing intellectual property rights are prohibited from import or export under the Customs Law.

Tokyo Customs suspended imports of 114,376 items in the first half of this year.

Of these, electric appliances increased by about 6,000 pieces from the same period a year earlier, making up the largest category at 23.3 percent.

Clothes accounted for the second largest category with 13,774 items (12 percent), while bags made up the third largest category with 11,558 items (10.1 percent).

By country of origin, China topped the list with 48,591 items, down by 33 percent from the same period the previous year.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong came in second with 31,639 items, an increase of 298.2 percent, followed by Vietnam with 25,214 items, up by 65 percent.

In addition, 1,479 items from the Philippines were suspended from import, down by 82.4 percent.

It is difficult to distinguish genuine items from counterfeit products sold at online stores.

But tougher measures against illegal copies will be introduced at points of entry into Japan starting from October.

Items sent by mail for personal use can be halted from import and confiscated.

When they are confiscated, site users need to negotiate with operators because customs officials are unable to handle refunds.

"Items that are unusually cheap are fake. Don't be fooled," said Koji Toyama, director of the Customs Clearance Division at Tokyo Customs.

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