Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleChanel files suit in Nevada over alleged counterfeit goods
Friday, March 5, 2010 | 9:05 a.m.
Related Document (.pdf)
Luxury goods company Chanel Inc. has sued a businesswoman in China and her companies, charging they're operating a "massive illegal operation" selling counterfeit Chanel goods in the United States over the Internet.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for Nevada on Thursday against Susan Felum. Attorneys for Chanel said in the lawsuit that Felum is also known as Sandy Ye and Sandy Pan and that she does business as Felum Garment Inc.
Chanel says Felum operates Web sites called www.chanel-vip.com, www.felums.com and www.felumshop.com that sell counterfeit Chanel handbags, wallets, shoes, boots, gloves, outerwear, clothing, keychains, swimwear and jewelry.
The suit alleges trademark counterfeiting and infringement, false designation of origin of the goods and cyberpiracy (use of a Web site name confusingly similar to Chanel's). The suit says Felum has sold her goods in Nevada and other U.S. states.
"Defendants' counterfeit goods bearing and sold under the Chanel marks are virtually identical in appearance to each of Chanel's respective genuine goods," the lawsuit charges. "However, the counterfeit goods are different in quality. Accordingly, the defendants' activities are likely to cause confusion in the trade and among the general public as to at least the origin or sponsorship of the counterfeit goods."
"Defendants' Internet-based Web site businesses amount to nothing more than a massive illegal operation, infringing on the intellectual property rights of plaintiff and others," charged the lawsuit, filed by attorneys with the Las Vegas office of the law firm Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP.
A request for comment on the allegations was placed with Felum on Friday.
Besides offering Chanel-branded products, one of the Web sites at issue features additional luxury brands such as Coach, Gucci, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Mulberry, Hermes, Versace, Lacoste, Prada, Chloe and Dolce and Gabbana.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
Everything Under the Sun
Blogs
The Kats Report
Clint Holmes is a big deal at Cabaret Jazz and 'The Carlyle!'; Playboy's furry-ous closing; Elvis is a 'Legend'
Joe Pesci remembers his own honeymoon in Vegas -- meeting the Rat Pack (1 Comment)
Las Vegas Philharmonic says search for new music director to begin 'immediately' (1 Comment)
With Shenandoah project stalled, Wayne Newton hits back legally (7 Comments)
Where does a Playmate play when she turns 21? Vegas! (3 Comments)
Ice Ice Billy
The road to six-toed cats and Mayor Bubba
The Kats Report
David Itkin tells L.V. Philharmonic officials he's on his way out (14 Comments)
- Locally owned and independent since 1950; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, best news website in the nation & DuPont Award for broadcast journalism
SOOOO....
THAT'S WHERE THESE 'ONE-NIGHT' CHICKIEES WHO DRIVE THOSE RUSTY BEAT-UP 'CLUNKERS' AND WHO HAVE A CIGARETTE HANGIN' OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS
GET THOSE ILLEGALLY BRANDED PRODUCTS
WHILE THE ORIGINALS GET THE SHAFT.
PROTECT ALL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, TRADEMARKS, AND PATENTS.
BY THE WAY, US CUSTOMS, HOW IS THIS GARBAGE GETTING INTO THE USA...?
Caps Lock is your friend wizardofOz, embrace it.
Which just goes to show how over priced (marked-up) this designer and others goods are, 50k for a handbag is a bit much I would say.
I commision most all my appearal at 10 percent the cost of retail.
Why should this come as a surprise to anyone? China has been actively engaged for years and years in this type of crime across the board from toys, to clothing, to apparel, movies, etc. They are laughing in our faces while they poison baby and dog food, and conduct their cyber attacks on our computers. They are NOT our friends..