A stall operator was fined €750 at Galway District Court this week for exposing for sale a number of counterfeit hoodies and shirts which illegally bore the trade marks of some top sporting brands.
Kashif Saddique (28 ) with an address at 10 Summerhill Grove, Carrick on Shannon, Leitrim, was summoned to appear in court for exposing goods for sale, namely one red Manchester United hoody/jumper, one white Celtic hoody, one blue hoody/top, a green polo shirt, a red Liverpool hoody/jumper, and a yellow polo shirt, all bearing marks identical to or nearly resembling trade marks such as the Nike, Lacoste, and Adidas logos, when not entitled to use the mark in relation to the goods in question, contrary to Section 92 of the Trade Marks Act 1996, at Rosemary Avenue, Eyre Square, on May 2, 2009.
Defence solicitor Sean Acton told the court that the defendant, a married father of one, has been in business since 2003. Mr Acton added that Saddique has never been in trouble with the Garda before and had co-operated fully. He further explained that his client had bought the items from another trader and did not realise there was anything wrong with them.
Judge Mary Fahy convicted Saddique and fined him €750 with four months to pay. Inspector Aidan Foley then asked for a court order to be made requesting the destruction of the counterfeit clothing, however, Judge Fahy then ordered that the clothes be donated to charity.
