Wanting to get at the root cause of the counterfeit issue and hold bad actors accountable, Weber decided to take things one step further. They partnered with the Amazon
Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU), which works closely with brands to stop counterfeiters by conducting investigations, referring cases to law enforcement, and pursuing litigation.
In 2021, Weber and the CCU took joint legal action against 12 bad actors who were selling products illegally bearing the WEBER® registered trademark.
“The CCU team had experience in trying these cases and tracking all the breadcrumbs we would need to find these bad actors,” explains Geri. “They know how they hide their identities and methods of payment. And with their help, we were able to find them and file lawsuits against them.”
In speaking about
the lawsuits, Kebharu Smith, Director of Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit, said, “If counterfeiters attempt to sell in our store, they don’t just break the law and violate the rights of companies like Weber, they mislead consumers. In the rare instances when counterfeiters are able to bypass our enforcement tools and teams, we will find them and hold them fully accountable.”