Counterfeiters beware: Canadian court's message to purveyors of 'knock offs'

01-12-2011

Victoria Carrington

The Federal Court of Canada (FC) has awarded Louis Vuitton and Burberry the largest ever punitive damages award in a trademark counterfeiting and copyright case in Canada.

In a case that is being hailed as the latest landmark decision in the recent trend of bringing counterfeiters to justice, the Federal Court of Canada (FC) awarded Louis Vuitton and Burberry the largest ever punitive damages award in a trademark counterfeiting and copyright case in Canada.

Louis Vuitton has taken an aggressive approach to combating counterfeiting in Canada and globally over the last several years, and was also the party responsible for the previous record damages given in a Canadian counterfeiting case, when it was awarded over $900,000 in 2008.

Earlier in 2011 in Louis Vuitton Malletier SA et al v Singga Enterprises (Canada) Inc et al, Mr Justice Russell ordered three Canadian companies to pay the plaintiffs a total of $2.5 million for activities the court characterised as “egregious”. According to the claim, the defendants were engaged in “large- scale, sophisticated manufacturing operations in China and were importing vast amounts of counterfeit products into Canada, with the intent of selling them nationwide in stores, at gift shows and online”.


Anti-counterfeiting, Burberry

WIPR