Beyoncé cracks down on fake merchandise amid tour with Jay-Z
Singer Beyoncé has waged war on sellers of fake merchandise amid her global “On the Run II” tour with husband Jay-Z.
On Tuesday, July 31, Three Ten Merchandising Services, which handles Beyoncé’s and Jay-Z’s tour merchandise, secured a preliminary injunction to stop unnamed defendants from selling any clothing, jewellery or other merchandise featuring Beyoncé’s trademarks during the tour.
District Judge Rya Zobel granted the injunction, along with ordering that local authorities could seize any fake merchandise found between six hours before and three hours after any performance of the tour within five miles of each arena.
Earlier that day, Three Ten had filed a complaint for trademark infringement at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts against hundreds of defendants.
“The artist has a decidedly strong and loyal following among those who attend popular music concerts and record buyers,” said the claim.
It added that as a result of Beyoncé’s popularity, her trademarks (which include ‘#Beygood’ and ‘Yoncé’) possess a distinctive meaning to purchasers of tour merchandise.
“The use by defendants and others of the artist’s trademark also constitutes an attempt to palm off and appropriate to themselves the artist’s and plaintiff's exclusive rights therein,” said Three Ten.
The next performance in the “On the Run II” tour will take place on Sunday, August 5 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Beyoncé is not the first music artist to take on counterfeiters over bootleg merchandise—in August last year, the company that sells official merchandise for British rock band Coldplay sued unnamed sellers over merchandise for an upcoming performance, also at the Gillette Stadium.
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