Retail store operator Marc Jacobs has named a website called BitcoinFashion.net in a lawsuit aimed at preventing the unauthorized use of its trademarks.
Filed on 14th April in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the complaint states that 66 named websites, including BitcoinFashion.net, are responsible for the illicit use of Marc Jacobs trademarks as well as the sale of counterfeit goods bearing the company’s name.
Marc Jacobs is accusing the named defendants of trademark counterfeiting and infringement, false designation of origin, claim for relief for cybersquatting and unfair competition.
The company has asked the court to force the defendants to cease the use of its trademark and unauthorized sale of counterfeit goods. Marc Jacobs is seeking $2m “per each counterfeit trademark used and product sold”.
Marc Jacobs argued in court documents that it is the frequent target of trademark infringement, claiming that its brand suffers as a result of these actions.
The filing states:
“If defendants’ counterfeiting and infringing, cybersquatting, unfairly competitive activities and their illegal marketplace enterprise, are not preliminarily and permanently enjoined by this court, Marc Jacobs and the consuming public will continue to be harmed.
BitcoinFashion.net appears to only have a tenuous connection to bitcoin. The site does not accept bitcoin as payment, nor do any of its products seem to have any relationship with the digital currency.
A post on Bitcoin Talk promises the acceptance of cryptocurrencies, while suggesting a connection between the website and the dark web marketplace Agora. The website also accepts Payeer, which processes bitcoin payments.
Messages sent to the website’s publicly available email address were not returned by press time. Representatives of the Marc Jacobs brand did not offer further comment at press time.
Marc Jacobs image via Wikipedia
The full complaint can be found below: