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Singapore – A woman who imported fake branded bags and sold them live on Facebook has been sent to jail for possession of falsely branded products for sale.
Le Thi Thu Lang, 33, from Vietnam, started selling counterfeit clothing on Carousell in May 2019.
Two months later, she went live on Facebook to sell the fake items while also purchasing them from suppliers based in Vietnam.
Le bought the clothes for S $ 3-10 each and would sell them at double the cost.
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Its product line included Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermès bags, as well as more local brands like Charles and Keith.
Interested buyers would comment on his video and process him on orders, getting paid through PayNow or PayLah, reported Channel News Asia.
For each Facebook Live session, Le would earn an average of S $ 200.
In December 2020, Singapore customs notified authorities of a detained shipment of bags suspected of being fake.
Two days later, police raided Le’s apartment and seized around 520 counterfeit pieces, including 96 Gucci clothes, 69 from Louis Vuitton, 13 Balenciaga bags and nine pairs of Versace shoes.
The was arrested as some of the seized products were inspected by brand professionals.
The Gucci inspector said the items were made with “non-standard” and “inferior” materials or craftsmanship, while the Adidas inspector said the items were “counterfeits of the lowest quality”.
Chanel and Louis Vuitton also commented on the goods inspected and reached similar conclusions.
Le, who was speaking through an interpreter, said she was “very sorry” for her actions and “had a poor understanding of Singapore law.”
She pleaded guilty to five counts under the Trademarks Act of possessing products with falsely applied trademarks for sale, with 15 other similar counts considered.
Le was sentenced to four months ‘imprisonment on Tuesday (October 5th) following the prosecution’s request for four to six months’ imprisonment.
Strong intellectual property protection is “integral to Singapore’s economic and industrial success”; therefore, deterrence is necessary, the prosecutor said.
Upon learning of her conviction, Le instead demanded to pay a fine, as she had to take care of a family, like her 80-year-old mother-in-law.
Her husband also appealed for mercy saying, “Yes, I admit that my wife was ignorant. I also admit that it’s my fault because I don’t really take care of the family.
Their requests were rejected, although the judge postponed Le’s sentence until October 19 so that she could sort out her personal affairs.
For each count of her offense, Le could have been jailed for up to five years, fined up to S $ 100,000, or both.
According to singaporelegaladvice.com, purchasing counterfeit products is illegal in Singapore if the buyer does so with the intention of selling, trading or manufacturing those products.
Counterfeit goods purchased abroad and imported into Singapore may also be confiscated at the point of import. / TISG
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