Jail time for Counterfeit peddlers.

[El Presidente]

This is great news for the Good Guys. Congratulations to Dag Holmboe of PCC for chasing this like a mongrel dog.

_________________________________________________

For Immediate Release

Jail Time for Operators of Local Firm Selling Counterfeit Cuban Cigars

7 June 2007 - SINGAPORE (The Pacific Cigar Company) – The operators of local firm ‘Cigar Affair’, Mr Jacob Quek Gim Siew and his wife, Ms Esther Goh Soo Im, were sentenced to six weeks and four weeks imprisonment respectively and fined a total of SG$144,000 for the offences of exposing for sale and having in their possession for purpose of trade more than fifteen hundred counterfeit Cuban cigars, to which the trademarks “Cohiba” or “Partagas”, owned by Habanos SA, had been falsely applied. Ms Esther Goh had also been convicted of having sold counterfeit cigars. These were sold as Limited Edition cigars at almost double the price of genuine standard cigars.

“Trademark infringement is a serious offence, as such offences fundamentally undermine Singapore’s reputation as a centre for intellectual property rights,” commented Mr Chia Chor Leong, who acted for the public prosecutor in prosecuting Jacob Quek and Esther Goh, and is a Director of the legal firm Citilegal, solicitors for The Pacific Cigar Company.

The sentencing was aimed at deterring a burgeoning market of counterfeit cigars and took into consideration the aggravating factor of the respondents selling off the seized cigars that had been returned to them pending the criminal trial, as at that time they had sufficient knowledge that the cigars were suspect. An additional aggravating factor which the court took into consideration was the length of time ‘Cigar Affair’ had been dealing in counterfeit cigars. Documentary evidence presented during the trial showed that they had been sourcing from overseas and selling counterfeit Cohiba Robustos limited edition cigars since March 2002.

“I am delighted with the convictions, as they send a strong message to retailers and wholesalers of cigars to be diligent about selling genuine product and buying them from Habanos SA exclusive distributors. There is now a precedent of using empirical evidence to prove trademark infringement of cigars”, said Dag Holmboe, CEO of The Pacific Cigar Company Limited.

The Pacific Cigar Company Limited is the exclusive distributor for Habanos Cigars for Asia Pacific Region. The distribution rights were granted by Habanos Sociedad Anonima (Habanos S.A.) – the only Cuban Enterprise authorized to export the well-known Havanas from Cuba – in June 1992.

- ENDS –

[smokum]

Amen.

[Ginseng]

» This is great news for the Good Guys. Congratulations to Dag Holmboe of PCC

» for chasing this like a mongrel dog.

Indeed. Congratulations!

Wilkey

[jsd]

» This is great news for the Good Guys. Congratulations to Dag Holmboe of PCC

» for chasing this like a mongrel dog.

»

»Excellent work.

[Tampa1257]

» Jail Time for Operators of Local Firm Selling Counterfeit Cuban

» Cigars

7 June 2007 - SINGAPORE (The Pacific Cigar Company) – The operators of

» local firm ‘Cigar Affair’, Mr Jacob Quek Gim Siew and his wife, Ms Esther

» Goh Soo Im, were sentenced to six weeks and four weeks imprisonment

» respectively and fined a total of SG$144,000 for the offences of exposing

» for sale and having in their possession for purpose of trade more than

» fifteen hundred counterfeit Cuban cigars

Wow, excuse me but a whole six (6) weeks and 4 (weeks), thats got to really hurt...............:-(

[El Presidente]

» Wow, excuse me but a whole six (6) weeks and 4 (weeks), thats got to

» really hurt...............:-(

The $144 000 Sing Dollars will sting + the close to $300,000 defending the case. I assume PCCHK will sue for costs.

Throw in the likely loss of a business and you have a half decent outcome.

[mgillett]

You'd reckon in Singapore they would throw in a few a few strokes of the rattan or something...;-)

[habanablue]

» » Jail Time for Operators of Local Firm Selling Counterfeit Cuban

» » Cigars

»

» 7 June 2007 - SINGAPORE (The Pacific Cigar Company) – The operators

» of

» » local firm ‘Cigar Affair’, Mr Jacob Quek Gim Siew and his wife, Ms

» Esther

» » Goh Soo Im, were sentenced to six weeks and four weeks imprisonment

» » respectively and fined a total of SG$144,000 for the offences of

» exposing

» » for sale and having in their possession for purpose of trade more than

» » fifteen hundred counterfeit Cuban cigars

»

» Wow, excuse me but a whole six (6) weeks and 4 (weeks), thats got to

» really hurt...............:-(

Tampa, I wouldn't want to spend more than one day in a Singapore Jail...don't think they would have improved since WW2!