A federal decide within the Southern District of New York issued an order on Wednesday for bootleg distributors who’ve been promoting counterfeit Knicks and Rangers gear outdoors of Madison Sq. Backyard to cease instantly and seem in courtroom, in response to a report by Entrance Workplace Sports activities. The order comes two days after MSG Sports activities filed a lawsuit towards the distributors on mental property grounds.
Of their lawsuit towards distributors who’ve been hawking counterfeit merchandise, MSG Sports activities claimed the distributors have been utilizing their mental property and registered emblems for their very own business profit, lack correct permits and have additionally been “aggressive and belligerent in the direction of pedestrians” outdoors of Madison Sq. Backyard, whereas additionally creating issues of safety attributable to elevated crowding earlier than and after video games. MSG Sports activities had requested the courtroom to authorize state and native police in addition to MSG safety to grab and impound counterfeit merchandise, whereas additionally claiming they’re entitled to damages triple the sellers’ revenue.
On Wednesday, Choose Margaret Garnett issued a short lived restraining order towards the defendants over the subsequent two weeks whereas additionally ordering them to look in courtroom on Feb. 13. Apparently, the lawsuit doesn’t title any particular distributors of counterfeit merchandise or specify what number of of them there are, referring to them solely as “numerous John Does, Jane Does and XYZ Corporations.”
“Counterfeit merchandise is misleading to our followers, and we’re happy the decide agreed and affirmed our proper to guard our emblems,” an MSG Sports activities spokesperson instructed Entrance Workplace Sports activities.
The actions by MSG Sports activities proceed what has been a crackdown on the sale of counterfeit sports activities merchandise by groups throughout the nation. In April of this yr, as an illustration, legislation enforcement in Los Angeles seized roughly $140,000 price of bootleg Lakers merchandise being bought by distributors outdoors of Crypto.com Area.
