Topic: Counterfeiting

Subscribe to Counterfeiting RSS feed

A New Progress: China Issues Judicial Interpretation for Applying Punitive Damages in Intellectual Property Infringement Cases

Since 2013, China has gradually introduced the concept of punitive damages in the amendments to several laws on intellectual property rights, in which the elements of punitive damages were also stipulated, namely the infringement has to be “intentional” or “malicious” and “serious”. In 2020, the Civil Code was officially adopted, and it stipulates that the … Continue reading

Amazon’s 2020 Brand Protection Report – What Brand Owners Need to Know

On May 10, 2021, Amazon released its 2020 Brand Protection Report (the Report), the first of its kind published by the e-commerce giant. The Report offers insight into Amazon’s brand protection approach and efforts over the past year, including proactive controls, brand tools, and consequences for “bad actors”. With a growing number of fraudsters cropping … Continue reading

The Quebec Superior Court declines to issue a Norwich order to identify the supplier of grey market perfumes

In a recent judgment, the Quebec Superior Court denied a request for an order against a wholesaler/retailer to identify the suppliers of branded products obtained via parallel importation and sold in Quebec without the brand owner’s authorization. The brand owner sought the information in order to sue the products’ suppliers. Coty Inc., a manufacturer of … Continue reading

Grey Goods and False Labels: Federal Court Grants Interlocutory Injunction in a Trademark Case

In a recent trademark passing off case, TFI Foods Ltd. et al. v. Every Green International Inc., 2020 FC 808, the Canadian Federal Court granted an interlocutory injunction prohibiting the defendant from selling grey goods in Canada.  Specifically, the defendant was enjoined from using labels falsely identifying it as the exclusive manufacturer of certain imported … Continue reading

Goodwill Hunting: Herbs R Us depreciates the goodwill of Toys R Us

Trademark owners often face challenges when attempting to enforce against non-confusing third party trademark use, for example, where someone has adopted a “parody” mark, where the mark may be similar trademark, or have the same ‘look and feel’, but in a completely different consumer space such that consumer confusion is unlikely. But where such mark … Continue reading

Think bankruptcy will save you? Think again, counterfeiters

One of the most oft heard “defence” from a purveyor of counterfeit goods, when faced with the prospect of a significant damages award, is “I’ll just go bankrupt”.  The threat being that, unless the right holder lets the counterfeiter off the hook, the counterfeit will seek to render themselves judgment proof, looking to disincentivize legal … Continue reading

Courts Across Canada Continue Reopening Plans

Please see our updated version of this article, published July 10, 2020. Update – Response from Canadian Courts to COVID-19 As many Canadian jurisdictions begin to relax certain social distancing measures, it is time for an update on the status of the courts across Canada. As with the rest of us, the courts across Canada … Continue reading

Could the use of Punitive Damages be the way forward in China?

In September 2019, the Shanghai Pudong District People’s Court awarded triple punitive damages to Balanced Body Inc., which according to the Shanghai government news report was the first such award for a Shanghai Court to a foreign plaintiff. Background Balanced Body is a provider of Pilates equipment and education and holds PRC trade mark registrations … Continue reading

Canadian Anti-counterfeiting under the USMCA – what you see? We (mostly) already got it

The USMCA – aka NAFTA 2.0 – has a Chapter devoted to intellectual property, which has been the subject much consideration and debate since release of the text on October 1, 2018.  With some commentators lamenting that Canada “caved” to US demands and predicting that the IP provisions of the USMCA will stifle Canada’s innovation … Continue reading

(Don’t) knock it off!

The prevalence of counterfeit goods in Canada reflects weak laws and almost non-existent criminal enforcement within the country, resulting in an appearance of very limited protection for the intellectual property rights of brand owners. As discussed in a recent post on the topic, Canada has once again been named to the “Priority” Watch List in … Continue reading

Canada: out of line in combatting counterfeiting

For the first time since 2012, Canada has once again been named to the “Priority” Watch List in the 2018 Special 301 Report on Intellectual Property Rights, put out by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). This downgrade is in part due to Canada’s “poor border enforcement” relating to counterfeit goods. Concerns … Continue reading

Louis Vuitton’s argument for landlord liability gaining traction in Canada

Louis Vuitton is attempting to raise the bar in Canada for landlord liability in the sale of counterfeit goods, pursuing several flea market operators in the Ontario Superior Court for the sale of counterfeit Louis Vuitton merchandise taking place on their premises. In its action, Louis Vuitton claims that the landlords of the flea markets … Continue reading

Making us safer, through Brand Protection

What does brand protection have to do with cybersecurity? A study earlier this year demonstrates the connection. The study reviewed domain names for 11 major industrial control system (ICS) vendors.  ICS vendors provide, among other things, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, used in power plants and oil and gas refining.  In other words, these … Continue reading

CPB expands information sharing to address counterfeit imports

On September 18, 2015, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) published a final rule that allows for increased information sharing between CBP and trademark owners in cases of importation of merchandise suspected of bearing counterfeit marks. The new rule, which went into effect October 19, 2016, allows CBP to release information to mark owners that … Continue reading

US Enforcement actions against Chinese counterfeit goods

Recent actions by a key US senator and the Justice Department indicate that consumer goods from China could face increased scrutiny in the near future and beyond.  The efforts and associated investment of brand owners are being recognized, but the need to supplement private action with support from law enforcement should be viewed as a … Continue reading

Legal Update: Online sales of counterfeit sports apparel

Following on the heels of action by professional and collegiate sports organizations to stop online sales of counterfeit sports apparel, sporting good giants Adidas and Reebok have now brought suit against nearly 50 defendants they accuse of cybersquatting and/or fraudulently registering Internet domain names referencing their trademarks to facilitate the sale of counterfeit apparel. Adidas … Continue reading

It’s a counterfeit holiday time of year

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League have once again joined as plaintiffs in a civil action aimed at counterfeiters seeking to take advantage of the heightened demand for sports apparel. On December 12, 2013, the three professional sports organizations filed a … Continue reading

Trade mark licensee requests bank to disclose identity of counterfeiter following trap purchase from eBay

The German Federal Court (Bundesgerictshof) asked the European Court of Justice (CJEU) if a bank could withhold a customer’s information under banking confidentiality rules, where that customer had infringed trade mark law. See Beschluss des I. Zivilsenats vom 17.10.2013 – I ZR 51/12 Ruling. The “Davidoff Hot Water” trade mark licence holder tried to track … Continue reading

Canadian Online Pharmacy Enjoined from Selling Indian Generics to US Customers

Global Pharmacy Canada (“GPC”) is an online prescription drug retailer that sells drugs sourced in India to customers in the United States. GPC is a Belize company, but has a contractual agreement with an Ontario corporation located in Mississauga, RX Processing Services Inc. (“RXP Ontario”), which takes customer orders, processes payments for drugs, and ensures … Continue reading
LexBlog