Burberry seeks damages from counterfeiting network
Luxury fashion brand Burberry has sued a group allegedly running websites selling a range of counterfeit Burberry goods.
The complaint was filed at the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Tuesday, July 11.
It accused the defendants, who have hidden their names but are “believed to live in China”, of running an “interlinked” counterfeit operation to “wilfully manufacture, import, distribute and sell products using counterfeit versions of the Burberry trademarks”.
The British fashion brand owns a range of marks relating to its name, including US number 260,843 for the ‘Burberry’ trademark, first registered in 1929.
It also owns number 2,732,617 for the chequered logo on perfumes and 2,952,399 for the horse logo on sunglasses.
“Tactics used by defendants to conceal their identities and the full scope of their counterfeiting operation make it virtually impossible for Burberry to learn the true identities and the exact interworking of their counterfeit network,” Burberry added.
It is seeking injunctive relief, an order preventing the defendants from selling Burberry goods, a transfer of profits derived from the alleged infringement, $100,000 damages per infringement and attorneys’ fees.
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