Adidas and Reebok target websites on suspected fakes – WWD

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Adidas tackles suspected counterfeits.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Florida, Adidas and its subsidiary Reebok – which is being sold for sale – has targeted dozens of websites they say sell counterfeit and counterfeit products, including Yeezy and Reebok sneakers.

The websites they were targeting include those who use or change their names, including adidasco.com, adadassuperstar.com, adidasaustralia.com, and others. Adidas and Reebok have filed trademark infringement and infringement complaints for selling the products at very favorable prices compared to the prices of the originals, and for cybersquatting by appropriating their domain names, according to the complaint.

“To combat the indivisible harm caused by the combined actions of defendants and others with similar behavior, plaintiffs spend significant monetary and other resources each year on trademark enforcement efforts, including legal fees, investigative costs and support mechanisms for law enforcement, such as on-the-job training, guides and seminars, ”they wrote in the lawsuit.

“The exponential growth of Internet counterfeiting has created an environment forcing businesses, such as plaintiffs, to spend a lot of time and money on a wide range of efforts to protect both consumers and themselves. from the confusion and erosion of the goodwill embodied by the plaintiffs. ‘brands,’ they wrote.

In the suit, Adidas and Reebok also reiterated their ownership of their recognizable brand symbols – many varieties and combinations of Adidas iconography and striped patterns, as well as the Reebok logos.

“The above identified infringing activities of the defendants are likely to cause confusion, deception and error in the minds of consumers before, during and after the time of purchase,” they wrote.

“Furthermore, the wrongful conduct of the defendants is likely to create a false impression and to make customers believe that there is a connection or association between the respective genuine products of the plaintiffs and the counterfeit products of the defendants, which does not is not the case, ”they said.

A number of the defendants’ websites could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Adidas, which vigorously enforces its rights to use stripes and rights, is known for its lawsuits against rivals in commerce which it perceives as encroaching on its territory through the use of stripes. Fashion brands including Forever 21, Skechers and recently even design house Thom Browne have been the target of the track and field company’s litigation over its trademarks.

The dispute with Thom Browne is ongoing and the designer label has responded, defending its use of stripes and claiming it has been doing so with Adidas’ consent for more than a decade.

But alleged counterfeits, such as those at issue in this case, fall into a different category and are also controlled by US customs officials.

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