KEY POINTS
- Authorities ordered Harrikumar Patel to pay a R87,000 fine for selling counterfeit Apple accessories in Gqeberha.
- The case came about after a raid on the Walmer Park mall shop found 145 fake Apple goods.
- The conviction shows that South Africa is serious about stopping the sale of fake goods and unauthorized products.
Authorities fined a cellphone accessories manager in Gqeberha R87,000 after he admitted to selling counterfeit Apple products, violating the Counterfeit Goods Act and the Trademarks Act.
Harrikumar Patel, who managed HOCO (Pty) Ltd at Shop 32 in Walmer Park Shopping Centre, pleaded guilty in the Gqeberha Regional Court after law enforcement officers discovered 145 counterfeit Apple items during a lawful search on March 28.
The seized goods included fake iPhone covers, charging cables, power banks, car chargers, and port adapters each bearing imitation Apple trademarks.
Apple Inc. Made the Complaint Through Jarred West of Spoor & Fisher
NPA’s Regional Spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the knockoff products went against the intellectual property rights of Apple Inc., a major US technology company.
The complaint was given to authorities by Jarred West, who also acts as Apple’s representative in South Africa and is an attorney at the Centurion office of Spoor & Fisher.
According to Tyali, the fake trade marks on the goods might convince buyers that they were genuine Apple products.
The prosecution stressed the role played in safeguarding both consumers and companies’ brands
September-Moodley, the regional prosecutor who handled the case, brought attention to the need for safeguarding intellectual property rights and keeping consumers safe from unsafe electronics.
Barry Madolo, the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, saw this conviction as a key step in defending South Africa from intellectual property crime.
Madolo also said this result shows the seriousness with which prosecutors take the fight against fakes that hurt businesses and the country.
Counterfeit Apple accessories caution for sellers
Tyali further underlined that this case is an example for all retailers and importers who could face the law for selling counterfeit goods.
‘This case proves that sellers of counterfeit goods cannot expect to operate in the Eastern Cape or in South Africa.’
