British Company Fined Over £80,000 For Imitating Jamaican Sauce

Category: UK Connect Created on Thursday, 12 April 2012 10:13

Reports in Britain's Mirror newspaper are claiming that a UK based firm has been charged over £80,000 (J$10,800,000) for illegally copying the popular Jamaican sauce, Pickapeppa.

According to the Mirror, the firm in question, called Wanis, had lost the rights to import the sauce, and is accused of falsely creating its own to sell to supermarket chains. An alleged  30,000 bottles of the fake sauce were produced in Cambridgeshire, along with thousands of labels for over 16 months.

Pickapeppa's manufacturers only became aware of the scam  after a shopper complained about the change in taste. Following this an investigation was launched which came back with details of the fake sauce's production.

The perpetrators, 45-year-old Sanjay Wadhwani and 35-year-old Vickas Shah admitted to breaking trademark laws at Harrow Crown Court last week. Both men were given community service and fined £10,000 (J$1,350,000) along with £73,000 (J$9,855,000).

Pickapeppa, popularly known as Jamaican ketchup, was launched in Jamaica in 1921.  

Photo Credit To lthforum.com