Magistrate Judge Frank Maas and Judge John Keenan awarded LVMH over $400,000 in a five-year-old trademark suit last week.
LVMH filed suit way back in January 2004 against New York's Carducci Leather Fashions Inc. for selling counterfeit Louis Vuitton handbags adorned with the Louis Vuitton trademarks.
As more facts came to light, however, LVMH broadened their case to include Bonini Italian Handbags Inc, which supplied the counterfeits to Carducci.
A settlement was reached in 2006 between Louis Vuitton and Carducci, but Bonini never answered the claims and the court ultimately ruled a default judgment against them.
As a consequence of Bonini's unwillingness to particpate in the suit, the judges recommended that Bonini shell out $100,000 in damages per trademark infringed (four trademarks in total), and an additional $5,568.14 for attorneys' fees, etc.
The case officially closed on August 19th.
Counterfeits are not cool! Plus, anyone with even the most rudimentary fashion experience can spot the difference between an authentic and a fake.
[Image via AP Images.]
Posted: August 25, 2009 at 5:27 pm
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