The brands will now be lining up to pounce on the 89 businesses which are selling fake items in Barbados.
This has been revealed by local attorney for Puma, Mark Hope, as director and owner of Ouch Boutique, Grenville Ricardo Delpeache, of Passage Gardens, Passage Road, St Michael, yesterday became the first man to be convicted for selling knock-offs of the Puma brand, including Puma’s Fenty by Rihanna, at his store’s former Swan Street and Milk Market location in Bridgetown.
Delpeache was convicted by the Bridgetown Traffic Court and is awaiting the completion of a pre-sentencing before he returns on April 17. But his attorney, Satcha Kissoon, has indicated he will be appealing Magistrate Graveney Bannister’s decision.
Yesterday, attorney Hope, who noted he was sure Puma was as happy as he was with the decision, said he was sure the other brands would now be going after the other businesses which were also selling knock-offs.
“Of course, the extent to which the brands will need to take action will depend on the response of the store owners and the persons who are engaging in the illicit trade,” he told the MIDWEEK NATION immediately after Tuesday’s decision was announced by the court.
“Puma . . . is not the only brand that is being sold and I can say that we are in discussion with a number of other brands that are themselves sort of waiting on the outcome of this case,” he added.
“The point of this exercise was to send a signal that we want to have, that Puma wants to have counterfeit products taken off the market, and this is the first step in that exercise,” he stressed.
Hope declared it was now up to businesses and their owners/directors to decide if they wanted to find themselves facing similar charges to those on which Delpeache was convicted.
The multiple brands, he stressed, would not stop at having counterfeit products removed from the market.
“It is an offence to have the things in your possession, to offer them for sale and to expose them,” he indicated.
“If the business owners don’t have the things in their possession, then the brands are comfortable. It really is a decision for the business owners as to whether they will take the chance or whether they will abide by the law. The law is there. The brands don’t set the law; the brands operate within the confines of the law.
“Whether the business persons choose to respond appropriately or whether they continue with business as usual is entirely their decision. But the brands will continue to actively pursue it,” he said.
Hope went on to say that informal research done by a number of the brands had revealed that at least 89 outlets, across the island, were selling counterfeit products.
He said the illegal practice was more widespread in Bridgetown as it was the largest shopping centre, but there were others operating from various shopping centres.
“We have conducted tours and observed and counted the number of outlets and there are some of them which are selling multiple brands,” he added. (HLE)
