- Nine people appear from Tuesday before the Paris Criminal Court for having counterfeited Hermès bags.
- Several of them, who worked for the luxury brand, are also being prosecuted for breach of trust.
- They face up to seven years in prison and a 750,000 euro fine.
The "Birkin". One of the most emblematic bags from the Hermès house. One of the most counterfeited too. Rare and expensive, on the parallel market it tears off. For buyers to see only fire, specialists are needed who can reproduce it down to the smallest detail. Among the nine people who appear from this Wednesday before the Paris Criminal Court, several former employees of the French luxury brand who had set up, between 2013 and 2014, a particularly well-organized network of counterfeits.
Presented as the head of the network, Pierre B. lived at the time in Vietnam and gave his instructions to the other members of the network when he passed in France. He also shared with the group the know-how acquired when he worked at Hermès by participating in the cutting of the skins that Philippe D. was going to buy in Italy. Helped by his partner, Jean-Pierre G., he participated in the stitching and turning of the bags which Sandrine E. was then responsible for selling to Asian tourists from whom she collected specific orders.
More or less similar bags
Several defendants are also being prosecuted for breach of trust. Having worked at Hermès, they acknowledged having brought home tools, skins, metal parts, tools and materials belonging to the leather worker who estimated, in this case, the damage suffered at 1.3 million euros. “It is far from being exact. It is not three former Hermès employees who can harm this company, whose turnover is more than one billion euros, ”says Pierre B.'s defender, Me Alexandre Lazarègue.
His client was not necessarily "aware at the time of counterfeiting" when he launched into this business of "bags that more or less resemble" Birkin "". But, he adds, the concept of originality, provided for in the intellectual property code, "is exploited" by luxury brands which tend to abuse their "potential competitors who could make mundane bags" by accusing them of forgery. “This criterion of originality is extremely vague and everyone hides behind to claim ownership of anything and everything. This constitutes a real obstacle to the freedom of trade and industry. "
The trial takes place in Paris until June 26. Defendants prosecuted for counterfeiting by an organized gang risk up to seven years in prison and a fine of 750,000 euros.
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- Luxury
- Counterfeiting
- Justice
- Paris
- Trial