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Man who sold trademark-infringing bedding wins appeal to reduce sentence

SINGAPORE — A man convicted of distributing and selling bedding illegally printed with well-known cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty as well as logos such as that of Manchester United yesterday successfully appealed to the High Court to have his 15-month jail term reduced to nine months.

SINGAPORE — A man convicted of distributing and selling bedding illegally printed with well-known cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty as well as logos such as that of Manchester United yesterday successfully appealed to the High Court to have his 15-month jail term reduced to nine months.

In reducing Goik Soon Guan’s prison sentence, Justice Chao Hick Tin noted that he had pleaded guilty to his offences, made compensation of S$100,000 and undertaken to not repeat his offences.

Goik, 43, started selling the trademark-infringing bedding, which included bedsheets, mattresses as well as pillow and bolster covers from a shop he rented at Block 18 Toa Payoh Lorong 7, some time in 2009.

The goods were ordered from Guangzhou, China, through an agent. He rented stalls in heartland areas to sell his goods, employing five workers to assist him. He also supplied the items to another company owner, who would sell them at makeshift stalls at morning markets.

On July 13, 2011, police officers from the Intellectual Property Rights Branch raided Goik’s shop and two lorries, and seized around 9,000 items that were in contravention of the Trademarks Act and the Copyright Act. Goik pleaded guilty to four charges, with another 12 charges taken into consideration for sentencing.

Goik’s lawyer, Mr Zaminder Singh Gill, yesterday called for a minimum appropriate fine to be imposed, arguing that his client had cooperated with authorities during investigations and did not have any previous brushes with the law. Goik’s compensation to the various trademark holders had also exacted a huge toll on his finances both personally and in business, he said.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjna Rai said Goik had played a central and pivotal role in a relatively large-scale operation. DPP Rai called for a deterrent sentence, noting that Singapore has been promoted as a regional intellectual property centre. In addition, Goik had audaciously displayed infringing articles in his shop.

For his offences, Goik could have been fined up to S$100,000, jailed up to five years or both. AMIR HUSSAIN

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