1,755 pairs of shoes bearing a fake Timberland trademark are to be destroyed after having been seized by Malta Customs.

An import/export company based in Algeria has been ordered to foot the bill.

Eurl Iskalia IMP/EXP was sued by Timberland Licensing LLC of New Hampshire,USA, represented in court by Dr Peter Fenech, who claimed that its intellectual property rights were violated by the defendant.

The court, presided by Mr Justice Mark Chetcuti, heard how an inspection by the Comptroller of Customs at the Malta Freeport yielded hundreds of boxes containing 1,755 pairs of shoes bearing the Timberland trademark.

The counterfeit merchandise, reportedly destined to the defendant company, had been transported on board the CMA CGM Vela which sailed into the Malta Freeport on September 9, 2016. 

A representative of Timberland had reported in court that tests carried out on the merchandise had confirmed the suspicion that these were counterfeit shoes.

The court ordered the destruction of the shipment within 90 days, with all expenses relative to the issue being borne by the defendant.