Craig S. Hilliard, Shareholder in Stark & Stark’s Litigation and Intellectual Property Groups, was featured in The International Business Times article “Businesses That Copy Oscar Dresses Face Counterfeiting from Chinese Websites,” published on February 28, 2014.
The article discusses the growing issues of Chinese companies selling counterfeit products online. Many legitimate U.S. businesses are having their logos and photos stolen by these counterfeiters in order to sell lower quality apparel. Craig Hilliard, who represents the American Bridal & Prom Industry Association (ABPIA) in a class action suit against counterfeiters overseas, was quoted in the article for his knowledge on this growing issue. Mr. Hilliard said, “Federal district courts around the country, but most notably in New York and East Coast venues, have seen an increase in recent years of lawsuit filings by manufacturers…against websites hawking counterfeits and ‘knockoff’ goods.” He went on to say, “These lawsuits are more difficult to pursue than the prototypical trademark infringement case, because the defendants are usually overseas, and even then are hard to locate because they typically hind behind fictitious names.”
The article notes that on February 10, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey entered preliminary injunctions against more than 1,000 suspicious retailers.
To read the full article, click here.