Fake sneakers under world-renowned brand logos: Odesa women fined for illegal business

 Based on materials from detectives of the Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in the Odesa region, a court has found three Odesa residents guilty of selling counterfeit athletic footwear from well-known brands.

A representative of the trademark holder approached the TO of the  ESBU in the Odesa region. He reported that a group of individuals was illegally using the brand name during the manufacturing of athletic footwear, causing material damage on an especially large scale.

During the pretrial investigation, it was established that the three Odesa women had organized the illegal sale of counterfeit shoes through the internet and specialized stores.

During the execution of authorized searches, detectives uncovered an underground workshop where goods were labeled with the logos of well-known global brands, as well as a warehouse where the suspects stored counterfeit products. Seized items included counterfeit footwear, bank cards, rough records, copies of constituent documents, postal waybills, etc.

According to the results of expert examinations, it was established that the amount of damage caused to the trademark holder exceeds 1.2 million UAH.

Based on the evidence collected, the court found the three suspects guilty of committing a criminal offense under Part 2 of Article 229 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal use of marks for goods and services and trade names). Each was sentenced to a fine.

Procedural guidance was provided by the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.