Chanel trade mark attack against counterfeiters

In a US district court, fashion house and worldwide known brand Chanel have issued a claim for trade mark infringement.

This claim was against unidentified counterfeiters and makes a claim for damages and an injunctive relief to prevent any further use.

The defendants had alleged to have sold counterfeit goods on e-commerce sites such as Amazon and according to the suit, had committed unfair competition offences and falsely designated the goods origin

The trade marks in question are the term ‘Chanel’ and the logo for ‘Chanel’ which has been registered in the US since 1985.

While the defendants who the claim is made against are not named, they are indicated to operate in ‘foreign jurisdictions with lax trade mark enforcement systems’.

The damages sought by the fashion giant are statutory damages from each defendant for $2 million per counterfeited trade mark used and sold, the costs of bringing the action which includes court fees and legal fees.

With a rather hefty award asked for, it will be interesting to see how much Chanel will be awarded if they are successful. If close to the amount asked for, this may be a big deterrent to other counterfeiters who were looking to ride on the coattails of a big brand’s trade marks.

For information on how to build your businesses trade mark protection or guidance on how to deal with infringers, contact The Trademarkroom today!

By Ellis Sweetenham