Crocs, Inc. CROX today announced that Chinese courts have sentenced
eighteen individuals to a total of more than 46 years in prison for producing
and selling counterfeit Crocs goods. Seventeen individuals were convicted of
counterfeiting, and two of the 17 also were convicted of offering bribes. An
18^th individual also was convicted on bribery charges in connection with
production of counterfeit Crocs™ shoes. In addition to prison sentences, the
above men together with another two face fines totaling RMB 2,832,500
(approximately $450,896). Nearly 128,752 pairs of counterfeit Crocs products
valued at roughly RMB 60,000,000 (approximately $9,550,690) were seized as
part of these recent investigations.
“If you attempt to produce or sell infringing Crocs products, we are going to
find you and take definitive action to protect our intellectual property,”
said Dan Hart, chief legal and administrative officer for Crocs. “The lengthy
prison terms and heavy fines handed down in these cases show that Chinese
authorities are very serious about assisting us to eradicate the production of
counterfeit Crocs products in China, and so are we. We will not tolerate
counterfeiters compromising our brand, and will continue to work with the
authorities to hunt down and prosecute anyone who uses Crocs' name, design or
other intellectual property without permission.”
The cases were tried by the Shanghai Yangpu District Court and the Dongguan
City No. 1 District Court. Decisions were made between March 13 and September
27, 2012.
“The sentences and fines associated with these cases are encouraging and
reflect the vigor with which the authorities prosecuted these matters,” said
Sara Hoverstock, Crocs regional general counsel for Asia. “As we continue to
monitor and take action against counterfeit activity, we recognize the
important role of the Chinese authorities and appreciate their support.”
Through September 2012, more than 600,000 pairs of counterfeit Crocs shoes
have been confiscated through factory raids and customs seizures in China.
This has resulted in 35 criminal actions, mainly in Guangdong, Shanghai and
Fujiang Province.
To learn more about Crocs, visit Crocs.com.
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