Los Angeles Intellectual Property Trademark Attorney Blog
Los Angeles, CA – Trademark attorneys for Chanel, Inc. filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in Federal District Court in Los Angeles alleging sales of counterfeit handbags and purses and asks the Court to stop the infringement. Chanel has used its Chanel and CC Monogram trademarks for many years on accessories, including handbags, purses, and wallets. Chanel owns numerous Chanel related trademarks and has federally registered them with the USPTO. Chanel’s brand/trademarks “are symbols of Chanel’s quality, reputation, and goodwill and have never been abandoned.”
The complaint alleges that defendants are selling lower quality imitations of Chanel’s handbags and wallets, which bear counterfeit Chanel trademarks. The complaint asserts that the Defendants are offering the counterfeit goods on their websites: www.gqbags.com and www.ultimatehandbags.com. The websites offer handbags for sale that are substantially less expensive than authentic Chanel products. “The net effect of the Defendants’ actions will be to result in the confusion of consumers who will believe the Defendants’ Counterfeit Goods are genuine goods originating from and approved by Chanel.” Chanel believes that the defendants are engaging in the sale of counterfeit goods intentionally and willfully. The complaint alleges causes of action for trademark infringement and counterfeiting under section 32 of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 114, and false designation of origin and unfair competition under section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a). The case is titled: Chanel, Inc. v. Kimberli Hunter, et al., CV08-02226 GHK (C.D. Cal. 2008).