May 2, 2024 7:00 AM
Amazon and Crye Precision file a joint lawsuit against counterfeiters
With World Intellectual Property (IP) Day last week on April 26, and National Small Business Week fully underway, there is no better opportunity to reflect on the many small and medium-sized businesses Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) supports.
The CCU works with brands of all sizes in the fight against counterfeiters, and we understand the significant negative impact counterfeiting activity can have on smaller brands, which is why we took on more than a dozen cases in 2023, both civil and criminal, affecting small businesses to protect their interests and intellectual property.
Amazon files joint lawsuit with Crye Precision
In March, our team filed a joint lawsuit with Crye Precision, a New York City based business that specializes in the design and manufacturing of high-quality military and police uniforms and equipment, against bad actors attempting to sell counterfeit products in the Amazon store.
Crye partners with hundreds of well-known commercial apparel and equipment brands, providing authorization to use Crye’s trademarked and copyrighted MultiCam family of camouflage patterns on products sold into the military, tactical, and outdoor markets around the globe.
Authentic Crye products sold on Amazon.
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“Amazon is a distinguished ally in our ongoing global battle against counterfeiters. While most companies turn a blind eye to bad actors, Amazon’s pledge to eradicate counterfeit products is a leading example of how to support brands and protect intellectual property,” said Jonathan Antone, general counsel and chief of staff for Crye Precision. “With Amazon’s CCU leading the efforts, we can prioritize our focus on designing and manufacturing life-saving apparel and gear for military and law enforcement personnel.”
While the Crye lawsuit was recently filed, cases filed jointly by the CCU and brands in years prior are resolving successfully, holding bad actors accountable and sending a strong message about the consequences of attempted counterfeiting.
Amazon successfully holds bad actors accountable
Earlier this year a joint lawsuit filed between Amazon and a family-owned card game maker, Dutch Blitz, resulted in a default judgement in favor of Amazon and the brand, resulting in nearly $200,000 in statutory damages which will go to the card game maker. Additionally, a similar default judgement was issued in March pertaining to a joint suit filed between Amazon and California-based family business J.L Childress. The judge awarded more than $1 million in statutory damages in this case.
In addition to large, well-known brands, we have always had a focus on working with and protecting small and medium-sized brands. One of our first civil cases and successful judgements was a joint lawsuit filed with small beauty brand KF Beauty, which resulted in $1.2 million in statutory damages awarded to the brand. We continue to build on those successes with active joint litigation with brands such as Oofos, Felco and Therabody.
These represent only a few examples of our efforts to protect brands and ultimately ensure customers can shop with confidence in the Amazon store. In fact, since the CCU’s founding, the team has pursued more than 21,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement.
These represent only a few examples of our efforts to protect brands and ultimately ensure customers can shop with confidence in the Amazon store. In fact, since the CCU’s founding, the team has pursued more than 21,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement.
Our 2023 Brand Protection Report includes more information on the CCU and the work of the more than 15,000 employees at Amazon dedicated to protecting brands, selling partners, and our store from counterfeit, fraud, and other forms of abuse.
The lawsuits referenced were filed under case numbers:
- Crye Precision: 2:24-cv-00394, United States District Court Western District of Washington
- J.L Childress: C20-1215RSM, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
- Dutch Blitz: 2:21-cv-00162, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
- KF Beauty: 2:20-cv-01217, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
- Oofos: 2:23-cv-00898, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
- Felco: 22-cv-1506, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
- Therabody: 2:23-cv-00931, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
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