Lviv man fined 17,000 UAH for attempting to import 40 counterfeit PlayStation controllers

Customs officers discover counterfeit gaming peripherals

On 23 July 2026, customs officers at the "Rosan" international postal exchange facility documented an attempt to import counterfeit goods. During the inspection of a parcel sent from China, customs officers used scanning equipment to detect 40 new wireless controllers. The devices bore the marking "DOUBLESHOCK 4 Wireless Controller, Made in China".

Dmytro Didenko was listed as both the sender and the recipient of the parcel. The devices were placed openly in the parcel, with no attempt to hide them from inspection.

Expertise confirms counterfeits

Due to signs of intellectual property rights violations, customs suspended the clearance of the goods and notified representatives of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited. On 28 July, a representative of the rights holder collected samples for analysis.

On 4 August 2026, Sony provided the conclusion of judicial expertise No. 14/07-TTM/26. Experts established that the markings on the Chinese controllers were so similar to the original Sony trademark, registered in Ukraine under certificate No. 127330, that they could be confused. The goods themselves were deemed falsified (counterfeit).

Court verdict

Dmytro Didenko's actions were qualified under Article 476 of the Customs Code of Ukraine — importation of goods in violation of legally protected intellectual property rights.

On 22 September 2026, the Halychtskyi District Court of Lviv (case file No. 461/6737/26) found Didenko Anatoliiovych guilty. He was sentenced to a fine of 17,000 hryvnias, which corresponds to 1,000 non-taxable minimums of citizens' income.

In addition, the court ordered the confiscation of all 40 counterfeit controllers. The defendant will also be charged 236.39 hryvnias for the cost of storing the goods in the customs warehouse and 665.60 hryvnias for the court fee.