Amazon and GoPro File Joint Lawsuit against Counterfeiters
August 09 2021 - 12:01PM
Business Wire
Today, Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”) (NASDAQ: AMZN) and GoPro,
Inc. (“GoPro”) (NASDAQ: GPRO) unsealed a jointly filed lawsuit
against seven individuals and two entities (the “defendants”) for
counterfeiting GoPro’s popular camera accessories, including the
floating hand grip, “The Handler,” and the “3-Way” grip, extension
arm, and tripod mount. The defendants attempted to offer the
infringing products in Amazon’s store, violating Amazon’s policies,
infringing on GoPro’s trademarks, and breaking the law.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for
the Western District of Washington and alleges that the nine
defendants used GoPro’s registered trademarks without authorization
to deceive customers about the authenticity and origin of the
products and create a false affiliation with GoPro. Amazon closed
the defendants’ selling accounts and proactively refunded the
impacted customers.
"When counterfeiters attempt to sell in our store, they not only
violate the intellectual property rights of companies like GoPro,
they also mislead consumers and harm Amazon's reputation as a place
to buy authentic goods,” said Kebharu Smith, Director of Amazon’s
Counterfeit Crimes Unit.
Amazon strictly prohibits infringing and counterfeit products in
its store, and in 2020, Amazon invested more than $700 million and
employed more than 10,000 people to proactively protect its store
from fraud, counterfeit, and abuse. Amazon uses industry-leading
tools to verify potential sellers’ identities and ensure product
listings are authentic, and Amazon’s proprietary systems analyze
hundreds of unique data points to verify information provided by
potential sellers. In 2020, only 6% of attempted new seller account
registrations passed Amazon’s robust verification processes and
listed products for sale. In addition, fewer than 0.01% of all
products sold on Amazon received a counterfeit complaint from
customers
In June 2020, Amazon launched its Counterfeit Crimes Unit, a
global team dedicated to pursuing counterfeiters and holding them
accountable to the fullest extent of the law, including by working
through the court system and in partnership with law enforcement.
Amazon has filed a series of lawsuits against counterfeiters,
including a suit against individuals using social media to promote
and facilitate the sale of counterfeits, as well as joint lawsuits
with apparel manufacturer HanesBrands, Italian luxury brands
Valentino and Ferragamo, cosmetics brand KF Beauty, family travel
accessory brand JL Childress, cooler manufacturer YETI,
family-owned-and-operated card game company Dutch Blitz, and global
board game publisher Asmodee.
GoPro was founded in 2002 and its products are used extensively
by active people wishing to capture and share themselves in
immersive and exciting ways. GoPro makes the world’s most versatile
cameras and mounts, subscription-based cloud services and
sophisticated, yet simple-to-use content-management and mobile
editing software. The Handler floating hand grip helps customers
capture themselves and others in the water without the fear of
losing a camera to the depths. The 3-Way mount features a
three-in-one design enabling use as a camera grip, extension arm,
or tripod, providing the ultimate in versatility.
The court filings are available here:
- Case: Amazon.com Inc et all v. Pengyu Building Materials et all
2:21-cv-00358-RAJ, United States District Court for the Western
District of Washington
Amazon has an extensive history protecting brands and taking
action to hold bad actors accountable:
- Amazon and Asmodee File Joint Lawsuit Against
Counterfeiters
- Amazon and HanesBrands File Joint Lawsuits Against Infringers
of Champion Trademarks
- Amazon Published Comprehensive Brand Protection Report
Demonstrating Progress Toward Driving Counterfeits to Zero
- Amazon Establishes Counterfeit Crimes Unit to Bring
Counterfeits to Justice
- Amazon Launches IP Accelerator in Europe to Help Small
Businesses Protect Their Brands and Tackle Counterfeit
- IPR Center, Amazon Launch ‘Operation Fulfilled Action’ to Stop
Counterfeiters
- Amazon Files Lawsuit Against Counterfeiters Using Social Media
to Promote Sales
- Amazon and YETI File Joint Lawsuit against Counterfeiters
- Amazon and Salvatore Ferragamo File Two Joint Lawsuits Against
Counterfeiters
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather
than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to
operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to
be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer,
and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click
shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by
Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire
tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology,
Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things
pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about
and follow @AmazonNews.
About GoPro
GoPro helps the world capture and share itself in immersive and
exciting ways.
For more information, visit www.gopro.com. Members of the press
can access official brand and product images, logos and reviewer
guides by visiting GoPro's press portal. GoPro customers can submit
their photos, raw video clips and edits to GoPro Awards for an
opportunity to be featured on GoPro's social channels and receive
gear and cash awards. Learn more at www.gopro.com/awards. Connect
with GoPro on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter,
YouTube, and GoPro's blog The Inside Line.
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