Coordinating a Cure for Global Counterfeiting

Lauren Estrin is an associate in Kilpatrick Stockton’s Intellectual Property Department. She focuses her practice on trademark prosecution and litigation, and also handles unfair competition, false advertising, and copyright disputes.

Ted Davis is a partner in Kilpatrick Stockton’s Intellectual Property Department. He divides his practice between domestic and international litigation and client counseling in the fields of trademark, copyright, false advertising, and unfair competition law. Mr. Davis has served as a member of both the Board of Directors of INTA and the governing Council of the American Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Law Section.

As many industries and markets are learning, piracy and counterfeiting is now a global economic epidemic.  In the first half of 2006, over 25% of all the reported incidents of IP theft around the world were linked to venues such as street vendors, outdoor markets, and counterfeit purse parties, all prototypical markets for knock-off merchandise.¹  Counterfeiting affects IP owners everywhere and the problem is not industry-specific – art, fashion and footwear designers, builders, car manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies to name a few, all share this unwanted and injurious experience....