Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton Files Suit in Beijing Against Alibaba’s Taobao Merchant Owners

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French luxury fashion house, Louis Vuitton Malletier, says the three defendants who were criminally sentenced in 2014 for selling counterfeit Louis Vuitton goods on Alibaba’s shopping platform, Taobao, should not be exempt from a civil lawsuit, according to reports.

Last week, LV filed a suit in the Beijing’s Haidian District Court against three defendants with the surnames Liang and Han that sold counterfeit clothes, shoes, and bags through its store that violated the fashion house’s trademarks. LV is seeking an injunction banning them from selling counterfeit goods and compensation of economic losses of 250,000 yuan ($37,900).

Last year, Kering’s coalition of luxury brands–including Gucci, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent-won a permanent injunction against China’s giant e-commerce Alibaba’s merchants in the United States District Court, Southern of New York banning them from selling counterfeit goods of the fashion houses’ trademarks. Kering alleged Alibaba made it possible for an “army of counterfeiters” to sell “illegal wares” on its platforms.

Louis Vuitton’s suit comes a few weeks after the U. S. Trade Representative Michael Froman did not relist Taobao and Alibaba on the “Notorious Markets”, dodged in 2012, but urged Alibaba to respond to ongoing complaints and warns it will monitor evidence of the new enforcement changes in 2016.

UPDATE: Mastermind Behind Saks ID Theft Scheme Pleads Guilty

Saks Fifth Avenue ABT Lincoln Center Ad Campaign

A sophisticated scheme by an identity theft ring used shoppers’ personal identifiers to purchase over $400,000 worth of luxury wares from Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store,( a shoe department that has its own special ZIP code: 10022-SHOE), to resale them on the black market, says Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. According to the press release, Tamara Williams (ring leader), who was not employed by the Saks Fifth Avenue, and co-defendants Kriss Rockson, Jason Chance, Alaia Harrison, and Michael Knight were charged in a 66-count indictment ranging from grand larceny to personal identification information.

“This identity theft ring was allegedly able to walk away with hundreds of pairs of shoes and bags due to the help of store employees, who are charged with making the fraudulent sales possible,” said District Attorney Vance. “Time after time, we see insiders at companies enabling theft to occur.

According to the record, between April and August of this year, the alleged ringleader of the scheme, Tamara Williams obtained personal identifiers (SS#, DOB or other personal info) from more than twenty Saks Fifth Avenue cardholders and supplied the info to four sales associates, who used it to look up the shoppers Sak’s account numbers. The employees would then use the stolen info to purchase luxury goods that Williams pre-selected from designer brands, including Chanel, Valentino, Christian Louboutin, Ferragamo, Balmain, YSL, Gucci, Giuseppe Zanotti, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy. Williams recruited phony shoppers who would impersonate as “Saks’ account holders to pick up the pre-purchased items and they met Williams at designated spots in Queens to hand off the stolen goods, which was then resold on the black market. Although some designer wares were sold on the black market, others were returned in exchange for Saks gift cards, then sold or used to pay the phony shoppers and other luxury wares became apart of Williams’ wardrobe as investigators found hundreds of boxes of luxury goods in her Queens home, Vance said. The ring is believed to be responsible for more than $400,000 in fraudulent purchases over the course of 91 distinct transactions that were manually entered into the computer system, even without a customer present. Special Agent in Charge of HSI New York James T. Hayes, Jr., said:

“American Consumers have never been at greater risk of commercial retail fraud and theft than they are today. These arrests dismantle a criminal organization that sought to use the very technology that has made the United States a global economic power to line their pockets at the expense of unwitting consumers and retail corporations.

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Louis Vuitton Prevails in India Trademark Infringement Case, Court Says “Wrong Belief” Not A Defense

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The Delhi High Court awarded a permanent injunction in favor of Louis Vuitton Malletier against Manoj Khurana & Ors that were accused of selling counterfeit goods and trademark infringement. LV marks: “Louis Vuitton”(1854); ” LV”(1890); the highly distinctive “Toile Monogram” (1896) and LV “Damier pattern” are registered in India in classes 3, 14, 18 and 25.

In this case, the defendants were allegedly in the business of unauthorized selling of counterfeit goods under multiple registered trademarks of Louis Vuitton. During a periodical market check in April 2013, Louis Vuitton learned through an investigator that Manoj Khurana & Ors infringed and illegally sold counterfeit goods (wallets, handbags, purses, belts and other goods) bearing infringing trademarks, “Louis Vuitton,” the LV logo and the LV “Damier pattern.” The investigator submitted the necessary evidence (images of the infringing goods, investigator’s affidavit and a copy of the sales receipt) that showed defendants were selling counterfeit goods bearing LV’s exclusive Damier pattern.

Per Louis Vuitton, only four exclusive retail outlets in India are authorized to sell original Louis Vuitton goods. But a plea was raised by the defendants that said they were selling the goods under “wrong belief” that the goods were owned by LV. However, the Court did not buy that stating, “[W]here LV goods are found to be sold outside the exclusive LV stores, an adverse inference is to be drawn under the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 that the goods are counterfeit beyond any doubt whatsoever.”

After consideration, the Delhi High Court held the trademarks exclusively associated with Louis Vuitton Malletier, the “LV” logo; the “Toile Monogram”; and the LV “Damier pattern” (which is registered under No. 861145 in class 25) are well-known throughout the world and even India under Section 11(6) of the Trademarks Act, 1999. Therefore, a decree for permanent injunction was entered in favor of Louis Vuitton and the French luxury fashion house was awarded Rs 50,000.

Art & Fashion: Logos by Mike Frederiqo

Coco Chanel

Marc Jacobs

Louis Vuitton

Yves Saint Laurent and Ralph Lauren

Anna Wintour

According to HighsNobiety,”Mike Frederiqo, turned Sponge Bob into famous designers, musicians, and celebrities of the fashion world from Kanye West Jay Z, to Karl Lagerfield, Terry Richardson and many others, they all got the SpongeBob treatment”.

Frederiqo has a new collection of designs entitled “Logos by Mike Frederiqo.” He recreates logos of some of our most favorite designers such as: Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Coco Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent, Marc Jacobs, and even editor-in-chief of American Vogue, Anna Wintour.

Frederiqo is a dutch artist, but now lives and works from The Haque in The Netherlands.

Louis Vuitton Stamping Out Counterfeits Online

(Photo Credit: Steven Meisel) Louis Vuitton’s ad campaign with the “Chic on the Bridge” focuses on the iconic Alma bag

Louis Vuitton is one of the brands that is extremely popular among consumers, their accessories are prime targets for bootleggers, and now they are partnering with Alibaba Group to cease the sale of counterfeit luxury goods in China. Alibaba owns Taobao marketplace which is China’s largest consumer to consumer online shopping outlet that is often flooded with knock-off designer goods. According to Alizila, “Under the agreement with Louis Vuitton, Taobao Marketplace will proactively take down product listings of suspected counterfeit goods and implement preventive measures to stop sellers from listing fake items. These measures strengthen the current system in place whereby brand owners notify Taobao of intellectual property rights-infringing items and then Taobao acts to remove them. Such collaboration is invaluable to us, in order to prevent the manufacture, transport and sales of counterfeit goods, online as well as off-line,” said Valérie Sonnier, Global Intellectual Property Director for Louis Vuitton. Read more from The Diplomat here.

Louis Vuitton is owned by LVHM Moet Hennessy, is world-famous for its distinctive brown leather bags and wallets.

UPDATE: $1M Louis Vuitton Privacy Violations Class Action Settlement Reached

Source: Flickr

The United States District Court of Southern District of California has approved a $1 million settlement in a class action pending against Louis Vuitton alleging the company violated consumer privacy laws.

The initial complaint was filed in 2011 styled as, Deanna Morey v. Louis Vuitton North America, Case No. 3:11-cv-01517, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. The complaint alleged Louis Vuitton violated California law, specifically the Song Beverly Act, by requesting and recording personal identification in conjunction with certain credit card transactions.

Eligible class members include all customers who made credit card purchases at Louis Vuitton retail outlets in California between May 20, 2010 and January 28, 2013 and who were asked and provided their personal identification information in conjunction with the credit card transaction. This does not include providing this information for a special purpose such as for shipping, delivery, servicing or repairing of the purchased merchandise or for special orders or paid holds.

LV will send Class Members a Merchandise Certificate for use at any stand-alone Louis Vuitton retail location in California upon the submission and receipt of a valid Claim Form by the deadline, which is November 13, 2013, if the Court approves the settlement and after any appeals are finished.

A Final Hearing is scheduled for December 12, 2013.

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