Harry Styles sues online sellers of fake merch
Harry Styles has filed a lawsuit against online sellers in a bid to prevent the sale of unauthorised merchandise on the internet.
As Rolling Stone reports, lawyers representing the pop star filed the suit in a Chicago federal court on Tuesday (January 10).
It states: “Plaintiff is forced to file this action to combat defendants’ counterfeiting of its registered trademarks, as well as to protect unknowing consumers from purchasing counterfeit products over the Internet.”
It’s said that the fake merch products have been listed on legitimate online marketplaces such as Etsy and Amazon. The lawsuit goes on to say that the items make it “difficult for consumers to distinguish such stores from an authorised retailer”.
Styles’ lawyers have requested a sweeping takedown of the unauthorised items at part of the suit. The document cites specific URLs rather than actual vendors or individual people involved.
The suit adds: “Tactics used by defendants to conceal their identities and the full scope of their operation make it virtually impossible for plaintiff to learn defendants’ true identities and the exact interworking of their counterfeit network.”
Additionally, it is noted that many of the fake pieces are being listen by internet sellers based mostly in China and “other foreign jurisdictions with lax trademark enforcement system”.
According to Billboard Pro, the blanket removal of unauthorised merchandise has recently been put into action by the likes of Nirvana and the estate of late rapper XXXTentacion.
Yesterday (January 11), it was reported that a woman has been ordered to pay back the £140,000 she earned from selling fake music t-shirts online.
Johanna Donnelly sold unlicensed merch of bands including Foo Fighters, The Stone Roses, The Stranglers, The Clash and Led Zeppelin, and benefited to the tune of £250,000 over a three-year period.
A judge has ordered Donnelly to pay back £141,655 within three months, otherwise she could face a five-month prison sentence.
Meanwhile, Harry Styles is set to return to the UK and Ireland next summer as an extension to his mammoth ‘Love On Tour’. You can see the full schedule and find any remaining tickets here.
The singer’s third solo record ‘Harry’s House’ landed at Number 16 on NME‘s ’50 best albums of 2022’ list last month. Its lead single ‘As It Was’ came in at Number Three in our ’50 best songs of 2022′ feature.
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Tom Skinner
NME
