Amazon Teams With Family-Owned Business In Counterfeiting Lawsuit

Seattle-based Amazon has hooked up with a small business to sue 11 individuals, alleging that they counterfeited J.L. Childress’ products — including travel bags for car seats and strollers — and then offered them for sale on the retail giant’s marketplace. A press release said the defendants violated Amazon’s sales policies and the law while infringing upon Childress’ intellectual property rights.

The release said the lawsuit filed by the companies, announced on Thursday (Oct. 22), was originally filed on Aug. 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington State. It alleges that “the defendants conspired and operated in concert with each other to sell counterfeit J.L. Childress products.”

“Whether a product comes from a large brand, family business or a new entrepreneur, our priority is preventing counterfeits from entering our store and damaging our customers’ experience and a brand’s reputation,” said Cristina Posa, associate general counsel and director for Amazon’s counterfeit crimes unit. In the release, she added that Amazon invests “significant resources” in protecting its marketplace and takes “aggressive action to hold bad actors accountable.”

“For over 35 years and two generations, our family has worked to establish a brand that parents can trust and to provide families with products that give them peace of mind while traveling,” said Childress in the release. “We appreciate the partnership with Amazon and hope our joint action will hold all bad actors accountable, as well as educate other small businesses to take due diligence in protecting their brands.”

The companies said that “J.L. Childress is a California-based family business started more than 30 years ago by Jan Childress.” It is now co-owned and operated by her two daughters, Kate and Sarah.

The company said that “protecting the J.L. Childress trademark is more than just a business function, it is safeguarding our mother’s name and our family’s legacy.”

Amazon has been ramping up its crackdown on counterfeit goods with its international Project Zero campaign. “Amazon is committed to protecting our customers and the brands we collaborate with worldwide,” said Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon vice president of worldwide customer trust and partner support. “Project Zero has been a leap forward in protecting brands, especially for those that use all three of its components.”