The $5.4 million judgement places a permanent injunction against the 100+ defendants accused of selling Vaporesso and other Smoore's self-branded counterfeit goods. The default judgment is for $50,000 dollars per defendant and the fines have been automatically transferred to Smoore from the defendants’ frozen assets.
Smoore filed the complaint in the United States in October, alleging trademark counterfeiting and infringement against defendants located in China. All of these businesses were selling in or to America (and other countries) through online platforms including some well-known e-commerce marketplaces.
“A significant number of defendants” made out of court settlements, providing “compensation for infringement and cooperated to identify their sources of supply of counterfeit products.”
Smoore says the case, “demonstrates [its] determination to protect its intellectual property rights in the jurisdiction of the United States. It is meaningful for protecting the development of the whole industry toward a healthy direction and providing safe and reliable vaping products for individual customers.”
The company adds: “Smoore has undertaken the lawsuits as part of an overall Anti-counterfeiting program in the United States and elsewhere, that includes cooperation with Customs to seize counterfeit products and local police to arrest owners of and shut down counterfeit operations. In the United States, Smoore is represented by the law firm Epstein Drangel who has a long and solid history in implementing and overseeing such anti-counterfeiting programs. The damages may not be completely enforced, but Smoore is planning to enforce the default judgment in order to collect compensation.”
Smoore has grown to become a global giant in vaping technology solutions, including manufacturing vaping devices and vaping components an ODM basis, with advanced R&D technology, strong manufacturing capacity, wide-spectrum product portfolio and diverse customer base.
According to Frost & Sullivan, the Company is the world's largest vaping device manufacturer in terms of revenue, accounting for 16.5% of the total market share, in 2019. Through its innovative and pioneering vaping technology solutions, the Company operate two principal business segments: research, design and manufacturing of closed system vaping devices and vaping components for a number of global leading tobacco companies and independent vaping companies, and research, design, manufacturing and sale of self-branded open system vaping devices, or advanced personal vaporisers, for retail clients.
Vaporesso is a self-brand owned by Smoore, carrying “the mission of ‘Beyond the Ordinary’.” It says consistent innovation and quality development has led to Vaporesso satisfying its customers through various vape devices with high-quality vaping experience.
News from: https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/news/vaping-news/2020-09-21_illegal-vaporesso-sales-slammed-in-court.html