How to Protect Yourself from the Brand Pirates

How do you protect your brand if hundreds of Chinese websites are selling knockoffs of your premium-denim jeans?

If you're True Religion, you take them to court and win a nearly $900 million judgment.

Last year, True Religion sued 106 defendants representing 282 Chinese websites that carried names such as TrueReglionJeans4Outlet.com, TrueReligion2Cheap.com and CheaperTrueReligionJeans.net. After making buys on the websites and verifying that the jeans were fakes, True Religion sued in U.S. District Court in New York to shut down the websites.

In a March 12 default judgment, Judge Harold Baer ruled that the websites were willfully counterfeiting the True Religion trademark and needed to shut down and pay up.

Deborah Greaves, in-house counsel for True Religion, said the Los Angeles company doesn't really expect to collect all that money. But it was able to disable the websites and collect money from their PayPal accounts, which might be enough to cover attorneys' fees.

However, as soon as True Religion shutters one website, another 20 pop up. “It's like whack a mole,” said Greaves, who has been very aggressive in protecting the True Religion brand ever since she was hired by the company in 2007. “You just have to hope that after a while, when we chase them and disable them and make it difficult to do business, they will decide there is another brand they can focus on that won't give them as much grief. Honestly, we can't give up. What are we going to do? Roll over and let them destroy the brand, or fight?”

Greaves was speaking at a panel on protecting brand names and dealing with counterfeiting. It was held April 19 in Vernon, Calif., and organized by the California Fashion Association, a Los Angeles trade group representing the apparel and textile industry in California.

Joining Greaves on the panel were attorneys Mark Brutzkus of Ezra Brutzkus Gubner; Michelle Cooke of Steptoe & Johnson; Jeffrey Kapor of Buchalter Nemer; and Gregory Weisman of Ritholz, Levy, Sanders, Chidekel & Fields. Also joining the panel was Kevin Sullivan, executive vice president at Wells Fargo Capital Finance, and Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Association.

Going to the Web

Metchek noted that the top three counterfeit purchases these days are music, movies and brand-name clothing. Fake products now represent 5 percent to 7 percent of all global trade.

About 25 percent of people who purchase fake goods know they are counterfeit. Another 73 percent bought the knockoffs just because they were there. “There are a lot of people buying fake Louis Vuitton bags who don't know who he is,” Metchek said.

Pregnant Alessandra Ambrosio goes hell for leather in skintight trousers as she jets out of LA with too-cute daughter Anja

She may be five months pregnant, but Alessandra Ambrosio is certainly not sacrificing her fashion choices.

The 30-year-old Victoria's Secret model slipped her figure into a pair of tight leather trousers and some over-the-knee flat leather boots as she departed Los Angeles today.

The brunette stunner also showed off her tiny baby bump in a grey sweater.
She accessorised the look with a fedora hat and toted a Louis Vuitton roller and a Hermes handbag.

The statuesque beauty was jetting out of LAX airport with her fiance Jamie Mazur and their three-year-old daughter Anja Louise.

Alessandra encouraged the gorgeous toddler around the terminal as they made their way to the gate.
Earlier while waiting for their airline tickets, the tiny tot tried on her mother's hat and got some cuddles from her father.

Despite being two months pregnant Alessandra took to the catwalk in just her lingerie for the Victoria's Secret show back in November and fans were none the wiser.

And while she hit the runway again last month it appears that Alessandra is past the point where she can conceal her baby bump.
Earlier this week, the lingerie model was seen showing off her growing tummy as she and Mazur stepped out for a dinner date.

Alessandra and her businessman beau, Mazur, went for a meal at Katsuya restaurant in Hollywood on Wednesday.

She flaunted her burgeoning belly in tight a metallic jumper and black leggings, which she teamed a black handbag and pair of riding boots.
The couple beamed after enjoying Japanese food and held hands as they waited for their ride.

While the Brazilian-born beauty carried her own growing bundle, Mazur went home with a mystery package of his own, which looked far too large to be leftovers.

Alessandra recently strode out at a fashion show in Sao Paulo in Brazil, wearing a succession of elegant designs.