More store owners face charges for selling fake Bosch items

CEBU, Philippines - More owners of establishments in Cebu City engaged in selling and distributing counterfeit auto parts bearing the brand Bosch are facing charges before the Regional Trial Court.

Assistant State Prosecutor Elizabeth Berdal indicted Johnny Go, Ernesto Ang, Maria Uy and Josephine Go, all of Kapitan Parts Center Co. along Borromeo Street and Felisa Escalona of Cebu Victory Auto Supply along P. Lopez for violating Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

Berdal recommended P10,000 bail for each accused. She said she found probable cause to elevate the complaint to court after respondents failed to answer the allegations against them.

The complainant in the case, Robert Bosch Inc., claimed it is the registered owner of Bosch products.

It filed the complaint first before the National Bureau of Investigation 7 and requested the bureau to stop the respondents’ establishments from selling allegedly fake products of Bosch, as well as to confiscate the products being sold.

The company said it received information about the sale of alleged fake Bosch products from its market research Ricky Taguding.

On February 11, 2006, Taguding and NBI special investigator Jedidah Hife went to the establishments complained of and purchased samples of automotive products for examination.

“Examination revealed that the samples purchased bearing the Bosch trademarks were indeed counterfeit Bosch products, as shown by the certification of the authorized distributor of Bosch products, Robert Bosch (Phils),” Berdal’s resolution reads.

Through a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Antonio Eugenio, the NBI went to the establishments in question and confiscated assorted auto parts bearing the Bosch brand.

Last week, charges were also filed against the owners of New Dynamic Automotive and Diamond Auto Supply, both located along Leon Kilat Street, for selling and distributing fake Bosch products. — (FREEMAN)