Tiffany takes on online counterfeiters

Luxury brand Tiffany has taken on a number of online counterfeiters in a trademark infringement claim. 

Filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Thursday, March 23, the lawsuit alleged counterfeiting and trademark infringement, false designation of origin, cybersquatting, and  unfair competition.

The defendants are alleged to have sold counterfeit Tiffany products through domain names that bear the Tiffany trademarks. 

Tiffany’s trademarks are used in conjunction with high-quality luxury goods including jewellery. 

“Like many other famous trademark owners in the luxury goods market, Tiffany suffers ongoing daily and sustained violations of its trademark rights at the hands of counterfeiters and infringers,” said the claim. 

The jewellery brand claimed that the goods being sold by the counterfeiters were of a “substantially different quality” to that of Tiffany’s genuine products. 

Tiffany also claimed that the defendants are using substantially similar commercial advertising and SEO strategies based on an illegal use of counterfeits and infringements of the Tiffany marks.

“Specifically, defendants are using counterfeits of Tiffany’s famous name and the Tiffany marks in order to make their websites selling illegal goods appear more relevant and attractive to search engines across an array of search terms,” it added. 

More than 40 defendants, who own more than 100 domain names between them, are mentioned in the lawsuit. 

Tiffany is seeking injunctive relief, transfer of the infringing domain names, damages and profits, and triple damages.