Fake World Cup t-shirt man sentenced

Photo / Sarah Ivey

A man who imported fake Rugby World Cup merchandise was today fined $20,000.

Terry Lung Chan's company, CLNZ Trading Company Ltd, was also fined $20,000.

Judge Greg Davis in Auckland District Court was told that Chan had left the country and said the fines would be recorded against his name and would they would have to be paid if he returned to New Zealand.

Judge Davis said this sort of behaviour needed to be stopped.

"We need to deter those people who think any benefit can be obtained by producing fake replicas without paying for and obtaining the correct licence," he said.

Chan, director of CLNZ Trading Company Ltd, was convicted of importing 1374 counterfeit t-shirts, which were intercepted by Customs in December 2009. They were later destroyed.

Ministry of Economic Development lawyer Samuel Wimsett said Chang left for China shortly after being charged.

The charges were the first to be laid under the Major Events Management Act 2007, under which the World Cup has been declared a major event.

- NZPA