“Counterfeit Network” Sued | Crye Precision Trademark & Copyright Lawsuit

Crye Precision is taking aim at online sellers in their latest trademark/copyright infringement lawsuit! As we’ve seen in previous Crye Precision lawsuits, the brand has filed the lawsuit in order to address what they believe is an overwhelming amount of counterfeit sales online. The allegations cover several types of alleged unlawful activity. It’s the Plaintiff’s intent to align their claims with possibly any/all accountable Defendants. And then reclaim some of the loss they say they’ve absorbed. 

Wondering what specifically has Crye Precision alleged in this latest trademark/copyright action? Good timing! We were just about to start talking about that. In the new Crye Precision suit, the Plaintiff has documented what they believe is a record of counterfeiting. The lawsuit, in a sense, functions as a means to an end for the Plaintiff. They’re not interested in taking any more losses due to the unlawful actions of the named sellers.

A Look at Crye Precision’s IP Infringement Allegations

To further understand the allegations, we’ll turn to the legal complaint: 

Crye Precision Products have also been the subject of extensive unsolicited publicity resulting from their high quality and innovative designs. Because of these and other factors, the Crye Precision name and the CRYE PRECISION Trademarks have become famous throughout the United States and around the world. 

On information and belief, Defendants, either individually or jointly, operate one or more e-commerce stores under the Seller Aliases listed in Schedule A attached hereto. Tactics used by Defendants to conceal their identities and the full scope of their operation make it virtually impossible for Plaintiff to learn Defendants’ true identities and the exact interworking of their counterfeit network. 

Defendants also deceive unknowing consumers by using the CRYE PRECISION Trademarks without authorization within the content, text, and/or meta tags of their e-commerce stores to attract various search engines crawling the Internet looking for websites relevant to consumer searches for Crye Precision Products. 

In terms of content, the allegations that comprise this most recent action don’t differ too widely from what Crye Precision has claimed in prior lawsuits. The striking difference here is that the Defendants being targeted are new. As you can see in the legal language in the complaint, Crye Precision is suing what they’ve deemed a “counterfeit network.” The “Seller Aliases listed in Schedule A,” refer to the e-commerce operators accused of infringement. And, to even further clarify, the “Schedule A” itself is basically a list on which sit the Defendants’ names. By utilizing this format and moving forward with a Schedule A lawsuit, the Plaintiff can sue a large group of sellers in one fell swoop. Versus in piecemeal fashion. 

Stockman & Poropat, PLLC Will Deliver a Legal Strategy That Works

Stockman & Poropat, PLLC is an award-winning intellectual property law firm. We’re led by attorneys with a great deal of experience in e-commerce. The lawyers at our firm know how to develop effective and creative legal strategies for a wide range of IP concerns and issues. We have delivered successful outcomes for e-commerce sellers based all throughout the world. Just take a look at our myriad glowing reviews! But it’s worth noting, the wonderful appreciation we’ve received from our clients is largely due to our friendly and approachable manner of conducting business. Stockman & Poropat, PLLC knows that infringement lawsuits can cause a great deal of stress. And, that you’ll likely have many questions you’re dying to have answered, so that you can protect your business. We want you to feel as though you can reach out to our team whenever necessary! and expect a welcoming voice on the other end! 

As we say in every post we do on infringement cases, the Defendants must respond! Providing a response to the court, in a timely manner, is super critical. What’s the reason for this? To protect yourself and your business from any further disruption and financial impact. A lack of a response could result in the court issuing a Default Judgment. With a DJ, a given seller could be required to pay additional penalties for the alleged actions. Oftentimes, the outcomes that are associated with these judgments are irreversible, too. Thus, more or less, it simply pays to submit the response! Any questions about the response? Just ask our team. 

A Temporary Restraining Order Will Freeze Accounts, Disrupt Operations…

By suing the named sellers as a “counterfeit network,” Crye Precision is attempting to establish a collective, fraudulent action or series of actions. If you read through the legal complaint, you’ll see that the Plaintiff wants to convince the court that this network is real and active. Are you unclear or confused about why Crye Precision is tying in the dealings of your business with this illicit activity? Or, do the details in the lawsuit not seem to be applicable to your e-commerce operation? The amount of responsibility to the allegations will vary from seller to seller, but all will be affected by the allegations themselves. 

So how are the sellers going to be impacted by the lawsuit, especially if they’re not actually guilty of the alleged counterfeit sales? Post filing, sellers will be struck with a temporary restraining order. This restraining order is what Crye Precision is counting on, for multiple reasons. First and perhaps above all else, the injunction is going to allow the Plaintiff to halt all further sales of what they say are counterfeit products. This will happen because the temporary restraining order will freeze all relevant seller accounts. And, that could mean freezing multiple online storefronts/accounts, across different platforms. When access to funds are impeded, frustration and concern are a normal reaction, but legal action will pave the path to resolution! 

Contact our team at Stockman & Poropat, PLLC today for a free initial consultation! 

Download the legal complaint below:

Curious if the fashion world is involved in similar trademark lawsuits? Read up on how e-commerce sellers were recently accused of infringement in the latest Marc Jacobs Counterfeit Legal Action.