Singapore ― A woman who imported fake branded bags and sold them on Facebook live was sent to jail for possessing goods with falsely applied trade marks for sale.
Le Thi Thu Lang, 33, from Vietnam, began selling counterfeit clothes on Carousell in May 2019.
Two months later, she went live on Facebook to sell the fake items while sourcing them from Vietnam-based suppliers.
Le bought the apparel for S$3 to S$10 each and would sell them for up to double the cost.
Included in her lineup of products were Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès bags, as well as more local brands like Charles and Keith.
Interested buyers would comment on her video, and Le would process the orders, getting paid through PayNow or PayLah, reported Channel News Asia.
For each Facebook Live session, Le would earn an estimated average of S$200.
In Dec 2020, Singapore Customs informed the authorities of a detained shipment of bags suspected to be fake.
Two days later, the police raided Le’s flat and seized about 520 pieces of counterfeit items, including 96 Gucci clothes, 69 from Louis Vuitton, 13 Balenciaga bags and nine pairs of Versace shoes.
Le was arrested while some of the seized goods were inspected by trade mark professionals.
Gucci’s inspector said the items were made with “non-standard” and “inferior” materials or craftsmanship, while Adidas’ inspector said the items were “the lowest grade counterfeits.”
Both Chanel and Louis Vuitton also commented on the inspected goods and had similar conclusions.
Le, who was speaking through an interpreter, said she was “very sorry” for her actions and that she “had poor knowledge of Singapore law.”
She pleaded guilty to five counts under the Trade Marks Act of possessing goods with falsely applied trade marks for sale, with another 15 similar charges taken into consideration.
Le was sentenced to four months imprisonment on Tuesday (Oct 5) following the prosecution’s request for four to six months’ jail.
Strong intellectual property protection is “an integral part of Singapore’s economic and industrial success”; therefore, deterrence is needed, said the prosecutor.
Upon hearing of her sentence, Le sought to pay a fine instead, as she had a family to care for, such as her 80-year-old mother-in-law.
Her husband also appealed for mercy, saying, “Yes, I admit my wife has been ignorant. I also admit it’s my fault because I don’t really take care of the family.”
Their requests were denied, although the judge deferred Le’s sentence to Oct 19 so that she could settle her personal matters.
For each charge of her offence, Le could have been imprisoned for up to five years, fined up to S$100,000, or both.
According to singaporelegaladvice.com, buying counterfeit goods is illegal in Singapore if the purchaser does so with the intention of selling, trading or manufacturing said goods.
Counterfeit goods purchased overseas and brought to Singapore may also be confiscated at the point of importation. /TISG
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