The partnerships

Richemont fires legal salvo at US web fakes

Global luxury goods group Richemont has launched legal action in the US against two online trading platforms that it accuses of allowing the sale of counterfeit watches based on its brands.

Richemont International along with its watch-producing brands Cartier, Montblanc, Van Cleef & Arpels and Panerai, as well as Chloe and Lancel, filed a complaint against The Partnerships, the company behind websites iOffer and Aliexpress, at the Northern District Court of Illinois, citing trademark infringement.

Richemont is seeking an injunction against the defendants along with substantial damages.

A quick look at Aliexpress revealed its sellers offering watches purporting to be Daniel Wellington for $3.40 (£2.20) and Emporio Armani for $11.49 (£7.45) while the UK portal of San Francisco-based iOffer was littered with watches bearing the branding of Rolex, Breitling, Tissot and many of the Fossil-operated brands including Michael Kors and Emporio Armani with many costing less than £20.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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