Gadget shop owner fined RM40,000 for 529 counterfeit Oppo smartphones
A gadget shop owner in Ipoh has been fined RM40,000 by the Sessions Court after pleading guilty to possessing 529 smartphones bearing counterfeit Oppo trademarks. Wong Soon Yaw, 37, who operates M One Gadget, pleaded guilty before the court on 24 September and was ordered to serve 12 months in prison if he failed to pay the fine.
According to the charge, enforcement officers found 529 smartphones of various models and colours at his premises along Jalan Besar Gunung Rapat. The devices carried registered trademarks belonging to Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd that had been falsely applied to the products.
Wong was charged under Section 102(1)(c) of the Trademarks Act 2019. For a first offence, an individual can face a fine of up to RM10,000 for each item bearing a falsely applied registered trademark, imprisonment of up to three years, or both. Wong, who was unrepresented, paid the RM40,000 fine.
The seized devices included various Oppo models, including the A31, A74 5G, A83, A56 5G, A3S, Reno3, A73 5G and A53. With 529 smartphones involved, the maximum fine under the provision could have amounted to RM5.29 million.
The case dates back to 5 February, when officers from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) inspected the premises following a complaint involving the use of the Oppo trademark. Verification with the trademark owner later confirmed that the seized smartphones were counterfeit.
The court also ordered all 529 smartphones to be forfeited to the government for disposal.
The case is among KPDN’s ongoing enforcement efforts against the sale and distribution of counterfeit goods in Malaysia, with authorities continuing to conduct inspections and take action against businesses found dealing in products bearing falsely applied trademarks.
Read more of our articles below!
