The Court of Paris ruled with a heavy hand against 10 defendants (7 of whom were ex-Hermès employees) formerly accused of manufacturing and selling some fake Birkin bags from 2013 until 2014. They have been all convicted. Their defending counsels have already made public they will file an appeal with the courts.
All convicted
The Court of Paris announced the verdict on Thursday 24 September 2020, following the trial, which took place in June, against a gang manufacturing and selling some fake Birkin bags. Highest penalty is that decided for a defendant residing in Vietnam. The Court considered him to be the leader of the organization: the judge sentenced him, in absentia, to 3 years in prison and, in addition, ordered a 200,000 euro fine. The convicted has been also sent an arrest warrant. Another co-leader of the gang has been sentenced to 3 years in prison, 2 of which have been suspended: he will serve 1 year under house arrest. He will also have to pay a 100,000 euro fine.
Damage compensation amounts to 580,000 euros
The woman who used to sell counterfeit bags has been sentenced to thirty months in prison (20 of which have been suspended, and she will serve 10 months under house arrest).
As for the other 7 defendants, the Court has exclusively imposed a few suspended penalties and fines. Furthermore, some of them have been ordered to jointly deposit, as a compensation for any character offenses and material damages, around 580,000 euros in favour of Hermès, which had claimed for a 2-million-euro compensation.
Read also:
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