Nike and sister brand Converse filed a lawsuit with The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against 52 alleged counterfeit networks, which operate 98 websites and 267 social media handles, over the sale of counterfeit goods.
The court document said all 98 websites “are currently, or were within the past twelve months, advertising, offering to sell, and/or selling counterfeit Nike or Converse products to United States consumers.”
Lawyers for Nike and Converse have identified 267 alleged infringing social media handles associated with the websites. Nike said the majority of the networks it identified operate out of China, Malaysia or other foreign countries, but noted that it was “impossible” to figure out the identities and “exact interworking” of the counterfeit networks it is suing.
“The defendants, who have no affiliation with Nike or Converse, have attempted to capitalize on the popularity of the plaintiffs’ marks by manufacturing and marketing counterfeit products falsely labeled as ‘Nike’ or ‘Converse’,” and the sale the items directly to consumers through “infringing websites, infringing social media and also on a wholesale basis to other purveyors of counterfeit products.”
Nike is asking the court to prevent the counterfeiters from using its trademarks in business going forward and from destroying the counterfeit products and business records. Nike is also seeking all of profits and a lump sum of three times profits.
