Over 37 years in prison for ten defendants, along with fines for three companies and confiscations worth millions of euros. These are the requests made by the Rimini Public Prosecutor’s Office in the “Eden Brand” trial, concerning the alleged trade in counterfeit clothing and accessories between the Riviera and San Marino.
Public prosecutor Paola Bonetti has requested six years and six months for the main businessman involved and five years and six months for another defendant. For two other positions, she asked for the case to be dismissed due to the statute of limitations.
At the heart of the accusation is an alleged scheme for producing and selling items bearing the brands of international companies, including Prada, Balenciaga, Adidas, Nike, Vans and Dior. The charges include, in various capacities, counterfeiting, handling stolen goods, money laundering, self-laundering and tax offences.
According to investigators, the mechanism allegedly exploited differences in trademark registration between Italy and San Marino. Some well-known names were reportedly registered in the Titano and used to manufacture products destined for the Italian market, including through shops and boutiques.
The investigation by the Guardia di Finanza (Finance Police) began in autumn 2017. The following February saw hundreds of searches carried out, with checks also conducted in San Marino through an international judicial assistance request.
Five warehouses and a print shop were identified on the Titano. The seizures overall involved around 500,000 items believed to be counterfeit, with an estimated value exceeding six million euros.
In May 2019, two suspects were placed under house arrest and preventive seizures worth around 18 million euros were carried out, covering companies, shareholdings, real estate, a boat and financial assets. Investigators also found more than 1.6 million euros in cash in five safe deposit boxes.
The Prosecutor’s Office is now seeking fines of more than 25,000 euros each for three companies, along with the confiscation of properties, cash and company shares worth several million euros.
The defence teams dispute the prosecution’s reconstruction and maintain that the activities were lawful. According to the lawyers, the items bore brands that had been deliberately altered, combined or reinterpreted in a parodic fashion, distinguishable from the originals and without misleading consumers.
Closing arguments from the defence are scheduled for late February 2027. It will then be up to the panel of judges to rule on the charges and the confiscation requests.
