TwodecadesafteropeningitsfirststoreinNewYorkCity, Supremehadbecome a trulyglobalbrandandwaslaunching a newcollectioninItalyonLee.
Supremewasn't launchingthisnewcollection.
Anothercompany, Waas, FirstStageCounterfeitsandKnockoffsare, ofcourse, a signoffsuccess.
Andthen, I guessyouknowitbecomes a slipperyslope.
Youknowhowbigthatknockoffmarketbecomes.
InNovemberof 2015 a BritishlimitedcompanynamedInternationalBrandFirmwasfoundedby a MichaeladiPierrowhostartedregisteringandlicensingthesupremetrademarkinEurope.
Inall, IBFclaimsit's registeredthesupremebrandin a whopping 54 countries.
SohowisIBFgettingawaywiththis?
It's whattrademarklawyerscall a legalfake.
IntheUnitedStates, partieshavetobethefirsttouse a specifictrademarks.
Such a supremeon a specifictypeofgoodsorserviceissuchasclothingthat's called a firsttousesysteminItalyorSpainorSanMarino.
It's a firstoffiletrademarkssystem, meaningthatthefirstpartytoefile a trademarkapplication, regardlessofwhetherornotthey'reusingit, aretheonesthatareawardedrights.
SincetheItaliancourts, earlierdecisiontideshaveturnedin i B F fsfavor.
The U hasinitiallyrefusedtoletthe U.
S basedSupremeregisteritstrademarklogoinEuropebecause, itsaidthewordsupremewasdescriptiveandlackingindistinctiveness.
ThoughthisreviewprocessisstillongoinginonesupremeNewYorksuit, IBFinSpain, IBFonein 2018 thisreallyis a quietfightfortherightsof a brandthatisnowwe'relessundersiegeincountrieswhereitdidn't actquickenoughareclaimthatwasn't a trick.
MontyStudyisnotandthereasonwhywecannotreally, youknow, a copyhere.
Signoff.
ButtheoriginalcompanycallsSupremeItalian a counterfeit.
Whenwe'relookingat a heavilycounterfeitedbrand, someofthelossit's intangible.
Whileitwasonceokaytojustpolicethemarketwhereyouwereimmediatelyoperatingnowadaysbecauseofthetrulyglobalnatureofdigitalmediaandeightcommerce, it's just a muchmorecomplexissuethaniteverwasinthepast, it's unclearwhetherSamsungknewitwasdealingwith a socalledlegalfakeallalong.