Counterfeit Goods

The trading in counterfeit goods is increasing. The Criminal Team have developed expertise in both the prosecution and defending of such cases at all levels. 0844 2722322



In the current economic climate, the treasury can ill afford the production or forgery of counterfeit notes and currency. Prosecutions are bought under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. It is an offence to make, pass off as genuine or have control of counterfeit currency. Similarly, there are offences relating to the possession of implements for the making of counterfeit currency and there is a prohibition on the importation and exportation of counterfeits. As trial lawyers, barristers at St Pauls Chambers have earned a reputation for skillfully presenting such cases at the both the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court.

It is a specialist area that neatly overlaps with prosecutions bought by Trading Standards for the counterfeiting of designer and trademark goods – often known as “passing off”. So, whether it be the market trader who is prosecuted for selling pirate DVDs and computer games or the importer of fake, designer labelled clothes, St Pauls Chambers have criminal barristers that can provide legal advice and court representation to the highest standards.

Increasingly, counterfeit offences are being associated with money laundering offences and the recovery of money under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 again in an effort to bolster government finances.