POWYS residents could face legal action of possessing and selling counterfeit goods, Powys County Council has warned.
The council's Trading Standards Service has issued the warning after successfully prosecuting a north Powys resident last month for possessing 200 sunglasses, cases or instructions labels marked with Rayban, Gucci or Dolca and Gabbana and 85 memory sticks marked Sony or Olympus.
The resident was sentenced to 100 hours unpaid work over 12 months by Welshpool Magistrates Court last month (Wednesday 20 April) after pleading to five offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994 at an earlier hearing. They were also ordered to pay full prosecution costs of £1,880 in full.
The Court also made an order under S97 of the Trade Marks Act for forfeiture and destruction of the items seized.
The resident was prosecuted after being investigated and arrested for the sale and possession of counterfeit goods found on the auction site Ebay in an operation led by Trading Standards and supported by Dyfed Powys Police.
Cllr Geraint Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Environment and Regulation, said: "We support legitimate businesses and local tax payers by targeting illegal shadow economy activities such as product counterfeiting which only seek to further destabilise our economy particularly in times of recession. We also support the intellectual property rights of our businesses and wider business community."
Clive Jones, the council's principal Trading Standards officer with responsibility for special investigations, said: "Firm action is needed on any issues related to product counterfeiting to promote fair trading within our community.
"Our surveillance on illegal activity involving counterfeiting is increasing and we would ask users of auction sites or any person offered suspect counterfeit goods, to be vigilant and to warn us of any suspicious sellers through our contact points. Alternatively ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."