Nike filed a lawsuit against 589 websites allegedly selling counterfeit versions of its Nike and Converse shoes online.
In a 130-page suit filed yesterday in New York District Court, Nike also charged the owners of 676 social media accounts and more than 100 unidentified companies and individuals for alleged counterfeit activity.
“Each of the defendants 589 infringing websites … is currently, or was within the past twelve months, advertising, offering to sell, and/or selling counterfeit Nike or Converse products to United States consumers,” the complaint charges. Nike added that the defendants are operating “a counterfeit scheme” via 42 separate networks based in China, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other foreign jurisdictions.
“The vast majority of defendants’ infringing websites contain either vague or completely false statements as to the authenticity of the products being offered for sale,” Nike wrote in court papers. “Others claim to sell ‘unauthorized authentic’ Nike or Converse products that are in reality counterfeit products.”
“In other cases, defendants infringing websites freely admit that the products being offered for sale are ‘replica versions of Nike or Converse products, with ‘replica’ being a common euphemism used to describe counterfeit goods,” Nike wrote.
Nike accused the defendants of nine counts of trademark infringement, trademark counterfeiting, trademark cyberpiracy, and other illegal actions under federal and New York State laws.
Photo courtesy AP
