A 32-YEAR-OLD Mbare man, Brian Mvundura, last week appeared at the Mbare Magistrates’ Court charged with contravening the Trademark Act, after he was found selling homemade juices with Odzi Foods Industry’s registered trademark.
BY NQOBILE NKIWANE
Mvundura initially pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared before magistrate Stanford Mambanje, who later altered his plea to one of not guilty after Mvundura told the court he had purchased the juice with the falsely applied trademark from another dealer.
The court heard on Tuesday last week, Odzi Food Industries director, Godfrey Mateko, was driving along Chaminuka Road in Mbare when he came across Mvundura selling a five-litre juice with Odzi Foods Industry trademark.
After the discovery, Mateko proceeded to file a report at Matapi Police Station.
The police officers, the court heard, proceeded to investigate the matter and recovered 41 five-litre containers of Nutra Crush Orange falsely branded with Odzi Food trademark in Mvundura’s house.
In his defence, Mvundura told the court he was only selling juice that he had bought from someone else and had no idea how the Odzi Foods trademark was applied.
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“I am not the one who applied the trademark, but I just bought the juice from a dealer whose name I do not recall,” Mvundura said. “I only have the dealer’s number”.
Magistrate Mambanje advised Mvundura to furnish the State with alleged dealer’s cellphone number and the matter was further remanded for trial.
Geogina Masanga appeared for the State.
