London RCMP seize $135,000 in fake goods as part of Project OJINGLE

LONDON, ON, Jan. 20, 2012 /CNW/ - Between December 1^st, 2011 and January 12^th, 2012, approximately $135,000 in counterfeit merchandise items were seized throughout various communities located in Oxford, Elgin, Middlesex, and Huron counties as part of Project OJINGLE. The London Detachment Rural Unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police visited 40 locations and over 2500 items were either seized or voluntarily relinquished to the RCMP for destruction.

The counterfeit items seized included jerseys, ball caps, toques, t-shirts, hoodies, flags, belt buckles and blankets bearing various unlicensed commercial logos such as National Hockey League, Nike, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Gucci, Lacoste, and various other name brands.

Counterfeit goods - whether smuggled into the country or produced in Canada - represent a financial loss to legitimate businesses, governments and taxpayers. These goods are often cheaply made and not up to Canadian standards therefore they not only defraud consumers, but may also represent risks to consumer/user safety.

It is an offence in Canada to sell and distribute merchandise bearing unlicensed or unregistered trademarks without the permission of the trademark owner. Individuals involved in these types of activities could face charges of fraud under the Criminal Code or charges under the Copyright Act for offering for sale an infringing copy of work where copyright subsists. If convicted, individuals could face imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years under the Criminal Code or fines up to twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months (or both) under the Copyright Act.

Anyone with information regarding the sale and/or manufacturing of counterfeit merchandise is asked to contact the RCMP at 1-800-387-0020 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-265-4444.

Cpl. Darren Morgan
Media Relation Officer
London Detachment
RCMP "O" Division
Office: [phone] ext. 248
Cell: [phone]