Rolex and the counterfeit-goods judgments

Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc. v. various defendants · Various US district courts

What happened

Rolex has obtained many large statutory damages judgments against counterfeit sellers. Awards in counterfeiting cases are often set by statute per mark per type of goods rather than by proven loss, and are frequently uncollectable.

The money

No reliable public figure. This dispute matters for the rule it settled rather than for a damages number, and many trademark matters resolve on confidential terms.

What it means for your business

Counterfeiting carries statutory damages that need no proof of actual harm, plus potential criminal exposure. This is a different and far more dangerous category than an accidental naming collision.

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