Counterfeit goods company director gets suspended sentence and ordered to pay over £30,000
Tuesday, 15th December 2015.
A Suffolk company director, who were caught manufacturing and selling counterfeit goods to unsuspecting victims through eBay, has been handed a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. The company was also fined £6000 today at Ipswich Crown Court.
In addition to the criminal prosecution against Mr Taylor and Sticar-It Ltd, Suffolk Trading Standards obtained a Confiscation Order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 ordering Mr Taylor to pay £25,200; an amount of his criminal benefit.
Last month, Christopher Taylor, 42, of Lidgate Court, Felixstowe, along with his company, Sticar-it Limited, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of Trade Marks Act 1994 violations and five counts against the Copyright Designs & Patents Act 1988. Some of the trademarks affected included Land Rover, Ford Motor Company and Tweety Bird.
Councillor Sarah Stamp, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities said:
“I am very pleased with the result; Suffolk Trading Standards is committed to protecting consumers from the sale of counterfeit goods. If you buy fake items you run the risk of paying high prices for goods which do not meet the quality and standards of the brand holder. When buying online, trust your instincts, if an offer looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Legitimate designer items are rarely discounted, so do not rush and be fooled into believing you are getting a good deal. Counterfeit goods not only affect consumers but they also damage the livelihood of honest and reputable dealers.
“This case should serve as a warning to other rogue businesses; if you are carrying out criminal activity using social networks and other avenues, be aware that you can be traced and will face criminal penalties for your actions once caught.”
More counterfeit items are now being sold online than ever before and spotting copies is becoming much harder. Here are Trading Standards top tips to help avoid buying counterfeit goods online:
Ensure the website address begins ‘https’ at the payment stage – this indicates a secure payment.
Keep security software and firewalls up-to-date. Regularly update your internet browser when a new patch-security update is released.
Don’t access links in unsolicited emails, always type in the website address or use a search engine to find a site.
Check the spelling and grammar on the website and of the URL – often the people behind these sites do not pay a lot of attention or care to this detail. Fraudsters may also try to deceive you by slightly changing the spelling of a well-known brand or shop in the website address.
If you think you may have purchased something that may be a counterfeit or suspect someone of selling counterfeit goods please contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 040506.
In addition to the criminal prosecution against Mr Taylor and Sticar-It Ltd, Suffolk Trading Standards obtained a Confiscation Order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 ordering Mr Taylor to pay £25,200; an amount of his criminal benefit.
Last month, Christopher Taylor, 42, of Lidgate Court, Felixstowe, along with his company, Sticar-it Limited, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of Trade Marks Act 1994 violations and five counts against the Copyright Designs & Patents Act 1988. Some of the trademarks affected included Land Rover, Ford Motor Company and Tweety Bird.
Councillor Sarah Stamp, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities said:
“I am very pleased with the result; Suffolk Trading Standards is committed to protecting consumers from the sale of counterfeit goods. If you buy fake items you run the risk of paying high prices for goods which do not meet the quality and standards of the brand holder. When buying online, trust your instincts, if an offer looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Legitimate designer items are rarely discounted, so do not rush and be fooled into believing you are getting a good deal. Counterfeit goods not only affect consumers but they also damage the livelihood of honest and reputable dealers.
“This case should serve as a warning to other rogue businesses; if you are carrying out criminal activity using social networks and other avenues, be aware that you can be traced and will face criminal penalties for your actions once caught.”
More counterfeit items are now being sold online than ever before and spotting copies is becoming much harder. Here are Trading Standards top tips to help avoid buying counterfeit goods online:
Ensure the website address begins ‘https’ at the payment stage – this indicates a secure payment.
Keep security software and firewalls up-to-date. Regularly update your internet browser when a new patch-security update is released.
Don’t access links in unsolicited emails, always type in the website address or use a search engine to find a site.
Check the spelling and grammar on the website and of the URL – often the people behind these sites do not pay a lot of attention or care to this detail. Fraudsters may also try to deceive you by slightly changing the spelling of a well-known brand or shop in the website address.
If you think you may have purchased something that may be a counterfeit or suspect someone of selling counterfeit goods please contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 040506.
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