Five Arrested for Counterfeit Goods

[LazyLion]

Five people were arrested for possession of and dealing in counterfeit goods in Germiston on Thursday, Ekurhuleni metro police said.

The group was arrested at the Rondebult flea market, Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago said.

They had illegally copied DVDs and CDs and branded clothing with an estimated street value of R400,000. The five, two men and three women, were expected to appear in the Germiston Magistrate's Court on Friday.


Source : Sapa /mm/gq/th
Date : 04 Apr 2013 19:14

 

[LazyLion]

You hear about this in the news every now and then, but it seems like a very sporadic thing.
There doesn't seem to be any consistent action against this at all.
Cos you still see these guys at all the flea markets and at a lot of intersections.

 

[Space_Chief]

You hear about this in the news every now and then, but it seems like a very sporadic thing.
There doesn't seem to be any consistent action against this at all.
Cos you still see these guys at all the flea markets and at a lot of intersections.

It's actually (probably) mostly not in SA interest to prosecute most of these offenses. Yes they have to do something to appease foreign licensors, but when people buy the original product at an inflated price they send more Rands overseas. Govt gets tax, sure, but more goes abroad. On the other hand if most of these counterfeit labels were local designer outfits and gear, and locally published music like Bles Bridges, then it would be in SA's interest to police this fully.

There's also the fact that crimes deemed more serious - robbery, murder, rape - are more prevalent in SA and already there the cops are overextended. To divert too many resources to helping SAFACT/RISA/BSA police flea markets would not be good for PR.

 

[Hosehead]

I could care less about SAFACT I've engaged them in the past with allegations that some so called illegal imported DVD's are more geninue than the rubbish being pressed and packaged by certain smaller SA film distributers who are in violation of their distribution agreements- SAFACT protect these local distributors -but wrongly so in some instances. A test legal case is needed but it will require deep pockets.