Latest news with #trademark
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Facebook fakers' counterfeit business had £480k turnover
Two women who ran a counterfeit goods operation through Facebook with a turnover of almost half a million pounds have been Standards said Helen Brindley-Walker and Lisa McArdle, both from Leicestershire, had traded items through their Get The Look site which, if genuine, would have been worth almost £ complaints at the poor quality of what they were selling led to an investigation and raids on the pair's homes and a storage unit in Burton-on-Trent, Monday, Brindley Walker was jailed on her 43rd birthday at Leicester Crown Court for two years and three months, while McArdle, 53, was handed a 15-month jail term, suspended for two years. Both had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell goods bearing unauthorised Trading Standards said during the 16 months that Brindley-Walker, of Norris Hill in Moira, was running the business, it was estimated to have a turnover of at least £480,000. Adidas, Apple, Tiffany Between July 2020 and October 2021, Trading Standards said it had received multiple complaints from customers refused refunds for items advertised on Facebook Marketplace by Brindley-Walker and McArdle, of High Street, joined their group and carried out two test purchases buying what was listed as Adidas and Nike trainers, Paco Rabanne aftershave, Tiffany earrings, Apple Air Pods, Adidas hoodie and a YSL perfume and make-up analysis by the firms, all confirmed they were not genuine and that the pair had no permission to sell their were carried out and a total of 3,558 counterfeit branded items, listed for a total of £46,500, were seized from the three addresses. Trading Standards said Brindley-Walker ran the operation and McArdle worked for her, monitoring Facebook, packing orders and taking them to the Post Connors, head of regulatory services at Leicestershire County Council, said the sentences "send out a clear message"."Trading Standards will not hesitate to take action against this sort of unscrupulous and dishonest activity, and those who take part in it can face prison," he said.
Reuters
10 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
US appeals court overturns Bored Ape maker's $8.8 mln win in NFT trademark case
July 23 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday overturned an $8.8 million judgment for Bored Ape Yacht Club non-fungible token maker Yuga Labs in its dispute with artist Ryder Ripps and his business partner Jeremy Cahen over their alleged counterfeits of the NFTs. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that Yuga had not yet proven, opens new tab that Ripps and Cahen's tokens — which they called satirical works of appropriation art — would confuse NFT buyers, sending the case back to California federal court for a trial on Yuga's trademark infringement and cybersquatting claims. Ripps in a statement said the decision "underscores that appropriation is a vital tool for artists to hold powerful entities to account." Yuga called the decision "a win for the industry" that "validates the fight we took on and confirms that BAYC is a strong and recognizable brand." Yuga accused Ripps and Cahen in a 2022 lawsuit of making millions of dollars from selling counterfeits of its Bored Ape tokens under the pretense of satire. Ripps and Cahen said that their versions of the tokens lampoon allegedly racist and anti-Semitic imagery in Yuga's NFTs and branding. Yuga denied the allegations and said that Ripps was "spreading ridiculous conspiracy theories online and using them to sell knockoff NFTs." U.S. District Judge John Walter ruled for Yuga before trial in 2023 and said that Ripps and Cahen's tokens were likely to create confusion in the NFT market. He awarded Yuga $1.5 million in damages, which later ballooned to more than $8.8 million with attorneys' fees and other costs. The 9th Circuit overturned Walter's decision on Wednesday and said a trial was necessary to determine whether the fake tokens infringed Yuga's trademarks. The appeals court agreed with Walter, however, that Ripps and Cahen were not immune from Yuga's claims based on First Amendment protections for works of art. The case is Yuga Labs Inc v. Ripps, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 24-879. For Yuga: Todd Gregorian of Fenwick & West For Ripps and Cahen: Louis Tompros of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr Read more: Bored Ape NFT maker Yuga Labs sues artist, claiming he copied tokens US judge sides with Yuga Labs in Bored Ape NFT trademark lawsuit Artist owes $1.5 mln in damages for fake Bored Ape NFTs, judge says
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Woman's brutal slap-down of Blake Lively in actress' latest bombshell lawsuit: 'Weak'
Blake Lively was dealt a savage blow while entangled in yet another lawsuit. In June, the Daily Mail reported that Family Hive LLC, the owner of Lively's haircare line Blake Brown, filed a lawsuit against Kimberlie Hamner, who owns Beauty by Blake, in opposition of the trademarked name.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
OpenAI wins trademark lawsuit over 'Open Artificial Intelligence'
July 22 (Reuters) - OpenAI convinced a federal judge in California on Monday that a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur violated its trademark rights by using the name "Open AI" in commerce. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Rogers agreed with OpenAI, opens new tab that Guy Ravine's company Open Artificial Intelligence infringed OpenAI's trademarks, even though Ravine started his company months before OpenAI's founding. An OpenAI spokesperson said that the ruling allows it to "protect the OpenAI name and avoid confusion for our users.' A spokesperson for Open Artificial Intelligence said that the company disagrees with the ruling and intends to appeal. Ravine bought the now-defunct " website in March 2015, months before OpenAI was founded. OpenAI sued Ravine and Open Artificial Intelligence in 2023, arguing that they applied to register an "Open AI" trademark the day after OpenAI announced its founding to "sow consumer confusion." OpenAI's founders offered to buy the domain from Ravine in 2015 and 2022, according to emails disclosed in the lawsuit. Ravine told OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in 2022 that he would hand over the website if the company donated millions of dollars to an "academic collaboration," noting that Elon Musk had paid $11 million for the Tesla domain and trademark in 2017. Rogers granted OpenAI's preliminary request last year to block Ravine from using the "Open AI" name, finding it was likely to confuse consumers. She also said that Ravine's website was "inoperative" when he applied for a trademark in 2015, and that he redesigned it shortly before OpenAI sued to look "remarkably" like OpenAI's website. The judge ruled on Monday that Ravine and Open Artificial Intelligence violated OpenAI's trademark rights. Rogers also said that Ravine's "Open AI" trademark was invalid because he misled the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office about his use of the name in commerce. The case is OpenAI Inc v. Open Artificial Intelligence Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 4:23-cv-03918. For OpenAI: Margret Caruso, Robert Feldman, Bobby Schwartz and Sam Stake of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan For Open Artificial Intelligence: Jason Wilson, Ashley Kirk and David Harris of Willenken LLP Read more: OpenAI wins order blocking tech entrepreneur's 'Open AI' website
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Dave Portnoy makes shock U-turn on Caitlin Clark's 'brilliant' rival Angel Reese
Dave Portnoy has begrudgingly offered some praise to Angel Reese for her new marketing campaign, as he called the Chicago Sky star 'brilliant' on Saturday. Reese, who is leading the WNBA in offensive rebounds per game, has been routinely mocked for her propensity to grab her own misses at the rim. The term 'mebounds' spread across social media, and Reese decided to trademark the phrase last month. Reebok announced on Saturday that the company is set to release the 'Angel Reese 1 Mebounds', and even Portnoy - who is decidedly on the side of Caitlin Clark in her rivalry with Reese - had to credit Reese for her sharp thinking. 'I hate (sports sense) Angel Reese. Hate her,' Portnoy began on X. 'That's how much it pains me to admit how brilliant it was for her team to trademark Mebounds and make it her thing. Brilliant. I hate how brilliant it is.' While the phrase was used by some to denigrate Reese, the two-time All-Star made a TikTok last month to express her affinity for it. Angel Reese 1 Mebounds. All mine. Not yours (yet) — Reebok (@Reebok) July 19, 2025 'Whoever came up with the 'mebounds' thing. Y'all ate that up... anything that comes off that board, it's mine!!', she said. Reese has also begun selling 'Mebounds' apparel on her website. The second-year player has made significant strides in her second season, improving her field goal percentage from 39.1 percent to 44.6 percent and doubling her assists average from 1.9 to 3.8 per game. She set the single-season record for offensive rebounds in her rookie season and is on pace to lead the league once again, as she's averaging a league-leading 3.8 per night. She also leads the league in total rebounds per contest with 12.6. However, her Sky look set to miss the postseason again as they're just 7-15 thus far. Reese, who has competed against Clark since their days in college, clashed with the former Iowa star earlier this season after a hard foul from the Fever guard. During a fiery season opener between Indiana and Chicago, Clark slapped the Sky forward across the arm after she grabbed an offensive rebound, sending her tumbling to the floor midway through the third quarter. Reese was left incensed by the push, leaping back to her feet and making a beeline for the Fever star before her teammates quickly intervened. The pair played together during the All-Star Game last year and have sung each other's praises, though tensions boiled over during that aforementioned moment in the season opener and Clark received a flagrant foul. Clark told ESPN that there was 'nothing malicious' about the play during an in-game interview, a sentiment which Reese shared after the game. Reese and Clark were both named All-Stars in their sophomore campaigns, though Clark will not suit up in the game due to a groin problem. Reese will suit up for the team captained by Napheesa Collier on Saturday night.
