Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) has filed a lawsuit against multiple individuals and companies based in China and the United States who facilitated or engaged in an elaborate scheme to obtain invalid trademark registrations and abuse Amazon Brand Registry, which offers a suite of brand-building tools and protection benefits.
Combatting trademark fraud and abuse of brand protection tools
The defendants collectively obtained invalid trademarks from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), with many being used to improperly gain access to Amazon Brand Registry. Some of the invalid trademarks were then used to file numerous false infringement notices against other selling partners in an effort to remove their product listings, thereby reducing product selection and damaging the integrity of Amazon’s store. This lawsuit is part of an offensive against abusive notice submitters that target Amazon’s selling partners, and follows similar lawsuits filed in 2023 and 2024.
"This lawsuit demonstrates our ongoing commitment to stopping those who attempt to abuse our brand protection tools through deceptive practices,” said Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon’s CCU. “This case shows how we are working to protect both our sellers and customers from those who try to gain unfair advantages in our store.”
Launched in 2017, Amazon Brand Registry is a free service that gives brands the ability to grow with Amazon while better protecting their brand and intellectual property rights. Brand Registry empowers brands to take advantage of image search technology which helps them identify and report counterfeits using the “Report a Violation” tool. When Amazon receives an accurate notice of infringement or detects attempted abuse, they act quickly to protect customers and selling partners while also shutting down the accounts of bad actors.
Collaboration with trusted brands and law enforcement
Amazon and L'Oréal USA have filed a joint lawsuit against bad actors who illegally marketed and sold counterfeit CeraVe-branded skincare products in Amazon’s store. L'Oréal, which is enrolled in both Amazon Brand Registry and Project Zero programs, conducted multiple test purchases and confirmed that the products were counterfeit. Upon verification of the inauthentic products, Amazon quickly blocked the selling accounts and proactively issued refunds to affected customers. This collaboration demonstrates how Amazon works with brands to protect customers through its comprehensive anti-counterfeiting programs that combine advanced technology with legal action to prevent counterfeit products from reaching consumers.
“Following an extensive investigation, we joined forces with Amazon to identify and dismantle a group responsible for selling counterfeit CeraVe products to unsuspecting shoppers. We value Amazon’s partnership and remain relentless in our efforts to protect consumers and eliminate counterfeit products wherever they emerge. Consumers should feel confident that when they purchase a product, it will be a genuine L’Oreal product that is backed by our highest standards of quality and safety. Counterfeit products erode that confidence, and more importantly, they put consumers at risk,” said Thomas Barden, Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Security and Brand Protection, L’Oréal USA.
On Long Island, New York, the CCU and Nintendo spearheaded an investigation that led to the disruption of a sophisticated counterfeiting ring. The bad actor was identified as Isaac Lapidus, who had been operating multiple fraudulent Amazon seller accounts since 2018. The joint investigation revealed a pattern of techniques used to evade detection while selling counterfeit Nintendo Switch docking stations, docking station adapters, and Pokémon Go Plus+ accessories.
CCU and Nintendo shared this evidence with law enforcement, who then executed a raid that resulted in the seizure of counterfeit Nintendo gaming accessories and products. Following the raid, Lapidus and another individual involved in the scheme were arrested on felony charges of trademark counterfeiting and possession of counterfeit goods with intent to sell.
