By Alex Crowe
Melbourne Royal Show organisers have been forced to belatedly order one of its clothing vendors to remove counterfeit clothing from their stall after an Australia fashion brand accused them of ripping off its label.
But streetwear brand Geedup Clothing – which has been tracking the clothing seller and others across local markets and the national show circuit – said the show organisers had ignored warnings it sent them in advance of the event. It has also demanded the vendor be permanently banned.
Geedup branded clothes were removed among other counterfeit labels after complaints to Melbourne show organisers.
Show organisers said the counterfeit clothing was removed from the exhibitor’s stall this week – on the sixth day of the event.
“As soon as we were made aware of the counterfeit clothing being on site, the products were immediately removed,” a spokesperson told this masthead.
“The stallholder in question has received a first and final warning.”
However, a spokesperson for Geedup told this masthead it had alerted show organisers “weeks ago”.
Counterfeit label clothes are made to replicate popular brands, but are often of inferior quality and sold at lower prices online and in market stalls, including at Australia’s biggest agricultural shows.
The Sydney streetwear brand had been issuing legal threats against vendors that sell replica items after it discovered fake Geedup-labelled items were being sold at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in April.
The company said the issue emerged at the Royal Adelaide Show last month, and now again in Melbourne – despite its lawyer writing to show organisers ahead of time.
The Melbourne Royal Show spokesperson said it had stringent policies and procedures in place to ensure only compliant products were sold.
Trevene Patrick and Geedup founder Jake Paco.
Exhibitors were subject to an agreement that stipulated counterfeit products were strictly prohibited and that only licensed goods be sold, they said.
“We have approximately 300 commercial exhibitors and tens of thousands of products for sale each year and welcome relevant authorities to come and inspect products to ensure they comply with local regulations and trademarks,” they said.
However, this masthead visited the show on Thursday afternoon and found other stalls stocking clothing that appeared to be unlicensed.
Geedup says it has spent more than $100,000 in legal fees, private investigator costs and enforcement efforts – including involving Australian Border Force – to protect its brand from counterfeiters.
The company said it had provided both real and fake garments to customs officials to help them intercept replica items coming into Australia.
Victor Ng of Cooper Mills Lawyers, which is representing Geedup, said counterfeit clothing manufacturers were often linked to organised crime.
“Counterfeit clothing is not a victimless crime,” Ng said.
“It obviously hurts the brand owners, often it hurts the businesses in their supply chain – who are often small businesses – and it hurts the consumer as well.
“There is also clear evidence that the manufacturing of counterfeits is connected to organised cross-border criminal activity, including human trafficking, drug trafficking and slave labour.”
Geedup general manager Trevene Patrick said counterfeit products eroded customers’ trust in the brand.
“It’s frustrating to see how slow and challenging it is to shut down these vendors, even with law enforcement involved,” Patrick said.
“The system clearly has gaps when counterfeiters can continue to sell with impunity at such large-scale events.”
Founded in Western Sydney in 2010, Geedup has quickly grown to a multimillion-dollar international brand with a loyal following.
Patrick said some of his Geedup customers told him they had approached vendors after discovering they had been sold fake products, but nothing was done.
“This isn’t just about Geedup,” he said.
“This is a broader issue that affects the integrity of Australian businesses and the trust of Australian consumers.”
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