[1]On Thursday January 12th, 2012 the London Detachment Rural Unit of the RCMP [1] seized hundreds of counterfeit cellular phone covers with an estimated value of $15,000 from a London Business at a local shopping centre. The cellular phone covers were bearing various unlicensed commercial logos including Coach, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Blackberry and Apple (iPhone). The vendor was served with a Counterfeit Product Notice.
A Counterfeit Product Notice is a written warning, in lieu of criminal charges, which serves to educate merchants in regards to offences associated with selling counterfeit products. In the future, if the vendor is found selling counterfeit items, he or she could face charges under the Copyright Act and the Criminal Code.
It is an offence in Canada to sell and distribute merchandise bearing unlicensed or unregistered trademarks without the permission of the trademark owner.
The RCMP is committed to eliminating this type of criminal activity through education and enforcement. The Proliferation of counterfeit goods and the profit derived from the sale of illegitimate products directly benefits organized crime groups.
If anyone has any information in regards to the manufacturing, shipping or distribution of counterfeit products, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or the London RCMP Detachment at 519-645-4329.