Canon Wins U.S Lawsuit Over Trademark Infringement of Counterfeit Products

In April 2022, Canon filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against 52 sellers who sell counterfeit Canon products (camera batteries, inkjet printer printheads, etc.) on U.S. e-commerce websites, alleging infringement of Canon’s trademark rights.

After the commencement of the lawsuit, about half of the defendants acknowledged the validity and enforceability of Canon’s trademarks and agreed to immediately cease and desist from selling counterfeit products. The remaining defendants did not contest Canon’s claims in court, and in September, 2022, the court issued a judgment ordering them to cease the infringing acts, ruling in favor of Canon.

Sales in the global e-commerce market have increased significantly, partly due to the spread of COVID-19, and counterfeit goods are frequently trafficked through cross-border e-commerce. The lawsuit is a countermeasure to this situation and was filed at once against multiple non-U.S. retailers selling counterfeit goods on U.S. e-commerce websites.