Latest news with #trademarkInfringement
Malay Mail
06-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
In Singapore, Louis Vuitton wins S$200,000 fight against ‘recalcitrant' Instagram counterfeit seller
SINGAPORE, July 6 — A Singapore-based Instagram seller who marketed counterfeit Louis Vuitton products as authentic and ignored a lawsuit has been ordered to pay the luxury fashion house S$200,000 (RM662,500) in damages for trademark infringement. The Straits Times reported today that Ng Hoe Seng, who operated through the Instagram accounts 'emcase_sg' and 'emcrafts_sg', sold fake phone cases, passport covers, card holders and purses at a fraction of the price of genuine Louis Vuitton goods. For example, a counterfeit passport cover was priced at S$159 — compared to the authentic version, which retails for between S$560 and S$945. Louis Vuitton Malletier (LVM) discovered the counterfeit operation in July 2022 and conducted a sting, buying S$2,100 worth of items through Ng's first account. After confirming the items were fake, the company issued a cease-and-desist letter in March 2023. But Ng simply switched to another Instagram account and resumed operations. A second undercover purchase led to LVM filing a trademark infringement lawsuit in August 2023. Ng failed to participate in any part of the court proceedings. On November 30, 2023, the Singapore High Court ruled in LVM's favour. On July 2, Justice Dedar Singh Gill awarded damages of S$200,000, far short of the S$2.9 million LVM had claimed based on 29 alleged infringements. 'The claimant's proposed quantum of S$2.9 million is grossly excessive,' the judge wrote, as reported by The Straits Times. While the statutory cap for each infringement is S$100,000, the judge limited the award to nine categories of goods, making the maximum possible S$900,000. Justice Gill also cast doubt on the financial harm to LVM, noting that 'knock-offs of luxury goods are usually not substitutable with the genuine goods'. In his judgment, the judge described Ng as 'a recalcitrant infringer' who engaged in 'deceptive marketing tactics', including reposting rave reviews from customers and enlisting influencers to promote the fake goods as authentic. Ng had also claimed the items were 'upcycled' from genuine Louis Vuitton material — a claim the court dismissed as 'a lie upon a lie'. According to The Straits Times, Justice Gill criticised Ng's behaviour, including making his account private while allowing followers to continue viewing posts, calling it 'an attempt... to mask his infringing activities'. He warned that online infringers pose a unique enforcement challenge. 'An online retailer can avail himself of a hydra-like approach... even if one head is sliced off, another can easily spring up.' Ng was unrepresented in court. LVM was represented by lawyers Ravindran Muthucumarasamy, Chan Wenqiang and Neo Xuan Hao Edwin of Ravindran Associates. Despite the court victory, it remains unclear whether LVM will recover the S$200,000. The Straits Times said, as of July 3, Ng's business, EMCASE SG, has been deregistered and both Instagram accounts mentioned in court have disappeared. However, a similarly named account — ' — remains active and appears to be selling Louis Vuitton-branded items.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Steelmaker SSAB, the Manufacturer of Hardox® Wear Plate, Cracks Down on Trademark Infringement in India
MUMBAI, India, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Swedish steelmaker SSAB has successfully taken action against two India-based companies found dealing in counterfeit Hardox® steel plates. These unauthorised products, bearing the Hardox® trademark and SSAB logo, included falsified product mill certificates and exhibited severe product quality issues, making them incomparable to genuine Hardox® wear plate. Nonetheless, they were misrepresented as genuine Hardox® wear plate. Following an investigation and a lawsuit, Naresh Steel & Engineering Co. and Parmar Steel admitted to trademark infringement and passing off, both serious violations of SSAB's intellectual property rights. The companies not only paid exemplary damages but also faced a permanent injunction in the lawsuit, and were directed to cease all use of the infringing marks. Additionally, they issued unconditional public apologies to SSAB and committed to ceasing such activities in the future. In their apologies, Naresh Steel and Parmar Steel acknowledged that "trademark infringement and passing off are gross violations of intellectual property rights of SSAB" and offered "an unconditional apology." Protecting customers from counterfeit products Only the Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB produces genuine Hardox® wear plate, and Hardox® wear plate is only available from SSAB and from SSAB-certified suppliers. Each month, SSAB successfully removes hundreds of website links, online marketplace advertisements such as those on Indiamart, and social media pages offering counterfeit products or falsely claiming to stock genuine Hardox® wear plate. "In the Mumbai area alone, there are a significant number of traders who falsely claim to stock Hardox® steel", says Subodh Shinde, country head of SSAB Steel India. "Our primary goal is to protect end customers from the risks associated with substandard steel, as these can lead to severe operational, financial and safety consequences, and we therefore continue to aggressively enforce our trademark rights and take legal action against any company infringing our intellectual property." Hardox® wear plate is a premium, high-quality product known for its exceptional hardness and toughness. Its guaranteed properties deliver outstanding performance, making it a market leader in wear resistance—and naturally, not a low-cost option. Therefore, a simple guiding principle is that if a deal seems too good to be true, it likely involves counterfeit steel. Extremely low prices are a red flag that the product is not genuine Hardox® wear plate. SSAB strongly encourages buyers to purchase Hardox® wear plate only from SSAB-certified suppliers, who hold the exclusive rights to distribute its products. Where to buy genuine Hardox® wear plate and wear parts in India SSAB maintains its own sales network. To ensure product authenticity, Hardox® wear plate should only be purchased through the following authorised SSAB channels: SSAB's own local stocks in India or SSAB's mills: +91 22 6673 0265, email: Kamlesh Metal & Alloy, the sole distributor of SSAB's products in India Hardox® wear parts should only be purchased through our authorised Hardox® Wearparts Centers in India. An updated list of all authorised centres is available on the Hardox® Wearparts Center website: Reporting counterfeit steel At SSAB, we are committed to ensuring that customers receive only high-quality, genuine Hardox® wear plate they can trust. If you encounter branded steel that you suspect is not genuine Hardox® wear plate, we urge you to contact your local SSAB sales team immediately. The risks of buying from unauthorized sources Buying from unauthorised sources may result in: Operational setbacks – Counterfeit steel often has lower quality and therefore lower durability, leading to frequent repairs, replacements and increased maintenance costs. Health and safety risks – Inferior materials may compromise structural integrity, increasing the risk of failures and accidents. Legal repercussions – The use of counterfeit steel could lead to litigation, fines or other regulatory consequences. Environmental impact – Counterfeit production methods often neglect sustainability standards, leading to increased contamination and waste. SSAB is a Nordic and US-based steel company that builds a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world through value added steel products and services. Working with our partners, SSAB has developed SSAB Fossil-free™ steel and plans to reinvent the value chain from the mine to the end customer, largely eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from our own operations. SSAB Zero™, a largely carbon emission-free steel based on recycled steel, further strengthens SSAB's leadership position and our comprehensive, sustainable offering independent of the raw material. SSAB has employees in over 50 countries and production facilities in Sweden, Finland and the US. SSAB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has a secondary listing on Nasdaq Helsinki. Join us on our journey! Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube. Photo - - - View original content:
