No ‘knock-offs’ in Newcastle
The operation focused mainly on the vending of counterfeit goods in Newcastle’s Central Business District. A search was conducted in Scott Street and Allen Street; areas often overrun with hawkers hoping to sell their ‘knock-offs’ at a rate less than the rest.
In a bid to deter street traders from vending counterfeit goods, Newcastle Police and Jacques Allers from the Brand Investigations Unit – Pretoria conducted a much-needed ‘clean up’ operation recently.
The operation focused mainly on the vending of counterfeit goods in Newcastle’s Central Business District. A search was conducted in Scott Street and Allen Street; areas often overrun with hawkers hoping to sell their ‘knock-offs’ at a rate less than the rest.
In layman’s terms, counterfeit goods ‘infringe on the rights of the trade mark holder’. These goods are often of inferior quality, bypassing quality control to provide a ‘brand name’ item to the everyday consumer at a much lower rate.
According to section 1(a) of the Counterfeit Goods Act 37 of 1997, ‘counterfeiting’ is defined as “without the authority of the owner of any intellectual property right subsisting in the Republic in respect of protected goods, the manufacturing, producing or making, whether in the Republic or elsewhere, of any goods whereby those protected goods are imitated in such manner and to such a degree that those other goods are substantially identical copies of the protected goods.”
Newcastle police Vispol, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and Crime Intelligence worked hand in hand with Brand Investigations to confiscate R500 000 worth of counterfeit goods during the operation.
The sole purpose of the campaign is to reverse the negative impact the selling of counterfeit goods is having on South Africa’s economy.
Constable Fikale Sikhosana, Constable Janus Du Plessis from FCS Newcastle, Warrant Officer Mathew Rose, Constable Siyabonga Buthelezi and members of Crime Intelligence Newcastle were involved in the confiscating of the goods and are congratulated for a job well done.
Initiatives like this prove that when stakeholders and police unite for the greater good, an impact is made locally and nationally. Police promise that similar intelligence operations will be conducted in the near future. We wish them well and trust their future operations will be an even greater success.
