Counterfeit products of Hells for sale on the web

Axel Marchand-Lamothe

Saturday, January 6, 2018 01:00

UPDATE
Saturday, January 6, 2018 01:00

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Hats, t-shirts, kitchen aprons, from the tens of counterfeit products bearing the effigy of the Hells Angels are accessible on several platforms for online sales.

“It’s really astonishing,” says professor Benoit Duguay, School of management Sciences of UQAM. What is copied usually what are the objects of luxury. “

The items are offered for sale, ranging in price from $ 9.99 to $ 49.99 on Amazon, eBay or Wish for the sellers based in China.

They display the logo of the death’s head, winged with the name Hells Angels, saved items legally anywhere in the world in the name of motorcyclists.

Consequences

Legal proceedings have already been initiated in several countries to uphold the brand image of the organization, but the consequences can go much further.

“We know their way of doing things. There are people in the past who have been brutalized for having used the trade mark without permission “, says the former investigator of the Sûreté du Québec Paul Laurier.

If products in support of the club are sold to the general public, the objects bearing the official logo are usually reserved for members in good standing.

Mr. Laurier believes the “outlaws” show up with clothes in the effigy of the group can submit an appeal for some, but the penalties are equivalent to their reputation.

“The Hells Angels are quite jealous “, warns the ex-investigator.

Registration

The situation did not surprise the lawyer Robert Brouillette, a specialist in patents and trade-marks.

According to him, even if the application of the laws on intellectual property improves in China for 15 years, it is still difficult for businesses not to make copy if their trademark is not registered in this country.

The three giants of the online sales have not returned our requests for explanations. Note, however, that Amazon and eBay have policies anti-counterfeiting strict and expel quickly the offenders.

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• eBay.ca
• Apron
• 19,99 $

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• Wish.com
• T-shirt
• 21 $

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• Amazon.ca
• Tuque
• $9.99 a