Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against rights of property - Forgery and counterfeiting

265: Imitating authorised or customary marks

You could also call this:

“It's against the law to copy or fake marks that show something has been checked for quality.”

You can get in trouble if you dishonestly copy or fake certain marks, words, or descriptions. This applies to marks that are put on objects or on things connected to objects. These marks are usually understood to mean that someone has checked the object and said it’s of a certain quality.

You could go to jail for up to 5 years if you do this. It doesn’t matter if the person who usually checks these things is officially allowed to do so or not. The law still applies.

This rule is about marks that people generally understand to mean something has been checked and approved. It’s not okay to fake these marks, even if the person who usually does the checking isn’t officially supposed to.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM330481.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Business > Fair trading
Previous

264: Paper or implements for forgery, or

“Having tools or materials that could be used to make fake documents is against the law.”

Next

266: Offences involving coinage, or

“This law explains what happens if you make, use, or have fake money.”

Part 10 Crimes against rights of property
Forgery and counterfeiting

265Imitating authorised or customary marks

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years who dishonestly counterfeits or imitates any mark, word, or description that is—

  2. impressed or otherwise made, or written upon, or affixed to, any chattel, or upon or to any thing containing or connected with any chattel; and
    1. a mark, word, or description that is by recognised practice understood to denote that the thing upon or to which it is impressed, made, written, or affixed has been examined and certified to be of a particular quality by any particular officer or other person.

      1. Subsection (1) applies whether the officer or other person referred to in subsection (1)(b) is or is not expressly authorised by law to so certify.

      Compare
      Notes
      • Section 265: replaced, on , by section 15 of the Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39).