The latest counterfeit conviction to have taken place after a trading standards alert from costume company Rubie’s has resulted in a £10,000 fine for the illegal trader.
Farid Ayubi, who owned Euro Accessories (UK) Limited, was convicted following a prosecution by Brent Council Trading Standards in the United Kingdom.
The Park Royal business had been selling counterfeit children’s costumes – including characters such as Batman, Spider-Man, Superman and Zorro – for just £9.99.
The children’s costumes did not meet the legal safety levels required for flammability and strangulation tests and as such were judged to pose a serious danger and unsuitable for sale.
“It’s deplorable that vendors are still selling costumes of this nature,” said Mike O’Connell, Rubie’s global head of anti-piracy. “Rubie’s anti-piracy team continues to operate a zero tolerance approach. Working closely with law enforcement our objective is to ensure illegal and dangerous products are removed from the market.”
Ayubi and his company were sentenced at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on July 4 after Brent Council’s Trading Standards officers seized over 200 costumes from the business. Euro Accessories was fined £6,000 and £3,666 in costs. Ayubi, who pleaded guilty, was also fined £500.
Brent Council’s leader Cllr Muhammed Butt, said: “If the safety of children isn’t motivation enough, I hope that this hefty fine at least sets an example to other organisations considering selling fake and unsafe goods.”
