NZ pair fined for selling fake True Religion jeans

Two people in New Zealand have been ordered to pay NZ$20,000 ($16,600) apiece and carry out community service in what is thought to be the country's first criminal prosecution for apparel counterfeiting.

Dean Leo Gibbs and Dawn Mary Lomas pleaded guilty to counterfeiting True Religion brand jeans online and through various temporary retail outlets, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald newspaper.

In addition to the fines, the two were sentenced to three months' community detention, which involves being subject to a curfew, and 300 hours of community service.

The company said it was not clear how many pairs of the jeans - which typically sell for $250 to $400 a pair for the genuine article - were sold by the pair. It is understood that the knock-offs were being sold at a discount to the authentic product - but still at a premium brand price bracket - and were of demonstrably inferior quality.

A spokesman for True Religion's official NZ distributor Guru Denim said it estimated Gibbs and Lomas may have cost the firm NZ$100,000-NZ$200,000 in terms of lost profit and damage to goodwill.

True Religion says it has received "numerous complaints from customers who have purchased counterfeit jeans on eBay, websites, jean parties or other unauthorized sellers that were sold as authentic."

"Counterfeiters have studied authentic True Religion Brand Jeans and are capable of copying the look of most of our labels and tags," according to the firm, which cautions consumers to buy its products only from authorised distributors listed on its website.