‘Bata by deception’

. Katongo

By HAMATAN KACHABE  –
A FORTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD Chinese businessman has been arrested for producing fake shoes labeled Bata, with police seizing 2,768 pairs worth K68,800 from his shop in Lusaka.
The Bata brand is legally owned and registered by Bata Zambia Shoe Company.
Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said this shortly after the police displayed the counterfeit products at Police Service headquarters in Lusaka yesterday.
Ms Katongo identified the Chinese as Tang Weihua, who owns Mengulai Company Limited.
She said Mr Tang was arrested and charged with making, importing and being in possession of coverings, labels, reels and other reproductions, replicas of a trade mark.
She said Mr Tang was on police bond and would appear in court today.
Ms Katongo said the charge extended to the sale of goods to which any trademark or a mark so resembling a trademark as to be likely to deceive consumers, contrary to Section 6 (1) (b) of the Merchandise Marks Act Cap 405 of the law.
Ms Katongo said members of the public needed to be alert when purchasing products such as the Bata products, because they were only authorised to be sold by the owners of the brand.
“We wish to urge consumers to always buy genuine products from legitimate outlets. Products such as Bata shoes are not sold on the street,” she said.
She warned traders who were fond of deceiving the public through the sale of counterfeit products that they risked being arrested.
Meanwhile, Bata merchandise and marketing manager Octavia Sakala described the act as unfortunate.
Ms Sakala said even though Bata products were more expensive than the counterfeits, they were more genuine and had a higher quality in comparison with the counterfeit products.
She said members of the public were supposed to pay close attention to the distinguishing features that were on original Bata products and not on the counterfeits.