Fake Chanel products confiscated
Fake Chanel products confiscated
JAKARTA (JP): Buying pricey Chanel products at exclusive shops
is no guarantee that you're buying the real thing.
In fact, you might be buying an upmarket forgery from
overseas.
Massive police raids on such shops in Jakarta and Bali last
December seized more than 2,000 items carrying Chanel tags,
according to lawyers representing the French-based designer
products in this country.
The 700 counterfeit handbags, belts and accessories
confiscated in Jakarta were worth more than Rp 200 million
($87,000), the law firm Dermawan & Co said in a statement.
"As they retailed for so high prices, they confused customers
into believing that the counterfeits were genuine Chanel
products," it said.
The targets in Bali included shops in the international and
domestic waiting lounges of the Ngurah Rai international airport
and large retail chain stores in the resorts of Kuta and Nusa
Dua. The two-day raids discovered more than 1,300 pieces of poor
to medium quality Chanel counterfeits, specifically aimed at
tourists in Bali.
However, the targets in Jakarta's two-day raids were shops
catering to more affluent customers, including those in Plaza
Indonesia, Blok M Plaza and the International Trade Center.
Most of the low quality counterfeits were manufactured
locally, but the expensive versions were imported from abroad,
according to Dermawan & Co.
The raids by the police, which came at the request of
Chanel, reflect the company's aggressive drive worldwide to stop
the trademark infringements, the lawyers said.
The 1992 Law on Trademarks stipulate a maximum jail term of
seven years and Rp 100 million for those found guilty of
infringement, and one year imprisonment and Rp 50 million for
those trading in the goods.
The statement did not say whether anyone had been arrested in
connection with the recent raids but stressed Chanel's hope that
the Indonesian authorities will prosecute those identified with
the infringement.
"Chanel is very committed to put a stop to all infringement
activities in Indonesia. There are plans to pursue other tougher
measures and to organize more frequent raids in the near future."
(emb)