Adidas, lamenting that it and other “famous brand owners” had invest” significant monetary” resources to combat counterfeiters, sued nearly 120 websites for brand fraud, violations, cybersquatting, unfair rivals and related claims next month.
The problem, filed in a Florida federal court, takes aim at sites like as adidasemporium.com, profootballjersey. store and jordan1best.com. These sites are owned and operated by individuals residing outside the U. S., and they promote and sell goods and” confusingly similar knockoffs” of Adidas shoes, shirts, shorts and other products bearing the famous three-stripe level. U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian has been given the situation.
In addition to permanent injunctions against the websites ‘ owners, Adidas is seeking$ 2 million for each fake trademark used and product sold. Additionally, the business requests that Adrian strong Internet service providers to stop hosting these websites and websites that provide unlicensed financial and technical assistance. In contrast, Adidas would prefer Internet search engines to “permanently delete, de-index or delist” the URLs.

Adidas emphasizes not only are the counterfeit products false, but they’re” of a quality greatly unique” from the real product. Consumers, confused by the visual similarity, could be duped into buying the counterfeit and wrongly believe the inferior item was made by Adidas.
Adidas emphasizes its significant interest in maintaining positive brand perceptions to this point. Adidas highlights its “long-term relationships” with athletic programs at Texas A&amp, M, Louisville, Nebraska and Mississippi State and with such elite athletes as James Harden, Trae Young, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, David Beckman, Lionel Messi and Trae Young. Additionally, Adidas sponsors the World Cup and MLS teams.
The complaint appears to acknowledge the logistical difficulty of stopping foreign websites that are far from American courts and American law enforcement. During the website registration process, those people use aliases and provide false information. They also launch new websites after others are closed, creating what is sometimes called a “whack-a-mole” problem.
Adidas says it incurs sizable “legal fees” and “investigative fees” to mitigate the harm caused by counterfeiters. Adidas and other companies are spending a lot of money to protect” consumers and themselves from the confusion and deterioration of the goodwill embodied” in legitimate brands, according to the company.
The latest legal move by footwear manufacturers to protect their intellectual property is the Adidas lawsuit. A Bathing Ape ( “BAPE” ), a Japanese fashion company, was sued by Nike in March for allegedly infringing on its trademark in the sale of footwear. A month later, the two companies settled out of court.