Chanel take on copycats claiming $2million per infringement

It is inevitable when building a strong brand that others are going to want to take their share of that success.

In the world of intellectual property, these copycats are in some way or another acting in breach of the law.

Chanel, major fashion house and keen protector of their IP rights, have taken action against yet another pair of counterfeiters for selling bags online which infringe their trade marks.

Taking on two individuals, Kristin and Ricardo Torres, Chanel are claiming $2 million for each of their trade marks that have been infringed.

It is claimed that Kristin and Ricardo Torres have been selling counterfeit Chanel products online which bare a confusingly similar mark to those owned by Chanel.

As well as pursing the individuals, Chanel also have made a claim against the websites in which the counterfeit goods were displayed for purchase.  Websites used to sell the counterfeit products include ‘chanelfraffitibackpack.com’ and ‘chanelboybags.com’. This claim includes the selling of the goods, the websites domain names as well as the social media handles linked to the websites.

Chanel are looking for a permanent injunction to prevent any further sale of counterfeit goods and claim the infringing products are leading to customer confusion and can damage their reputation.

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By Ellis Sweetenham