July 1, 2010

Lady Gaga Not Poker-Faced About Stopping Sales of Knockoffs

by Sheri Qualters
The National Law Journal

The summer concert season is bringing a new wave of cases by entertainment companies seeking to stop trademark infringers from hawking counterfeit wares at shows, and Lady Gaga has, as usual, taken center stage.

On June 25, Lady Gaga's merchandising company filed one of the more recent so-called John Doe trademark suits in the Southern District of New York, The Bravado International Group Merchandising Services Inc. v. John Does 1-100.

Such suits ask courts to authorize the U.S. Marshals Service, local and state police and/or agents of the plaintiffs to seize and impound counterfeit merchandise. Trademark lawyers say superstar entertainers who perform at stadiums and arenas, professional sports teams and their merchandising companies are typical plaintiffs.

The Bravado International case asks the court for the authority to seize bootleg merchandise at any of Lady Gaga's concerts.

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