Daily Inquirer June 11, 2007
NBI seizes P27 million worth of fake apparel
AROUND P27 MILLION WORTH of fake apparel were seized by operatives of the national Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at a popular mall in Makati City as part of the agency’s crackdown against pirated goods.
Agents of NBI-Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD), headed by lawyer Jose Justo Yap, confiscated 8,052 pieces counterfeit Juicy Couture products on June 1 at the Lovell Manabat store on the third level of Glorietta 2 in Ayala Center, and at the store’s other outlet on San Clemente Street, Brgy.Capitolyo, Pasig City.
In his report, Yap said his group conducted surveillance and confirmed the sales of the fake items, following a complaintfrom the legal counsel of Juicy Couture Inc. & Liz Claiborne Licensing Inc.
Judge Reynaldo Ros of the Manila Regional Trial Court issued the search warrant to the NBI-IPRD, which then raided the establishments and seized the fake items.
Charges of violations of the Intellectual Property Rights Code, or Trademark infringement, are being raided against the store owner.
By Allison W. Lopez
