Cartier Loses Landmark Legal Battle Against Counterfeiters

Cartier’s owner has lost a landmark legal case in the Supreme Court this morning as it was ruled that the retailer must foot the bill to block sites selling counterfeit goods. Richemont, which owns luxury brands including Cartier, Montblanc and watch retailer IWC, had previously won the right to obtain injunctions, forcing internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to sites selling goods which infringed on its trademarks or sold fraudulent goods. Historically ISPs have picked up the bill for blocking websites which infringe on copyright material such as music, and Richemont argued that this should also be the case for trademarks. However, it was dealt a blow today when the UK court ruled that the luxury brands would have to pay for the injunctions, including court and implementation cost. Read more at Retail Gazette.