Apparel Firms Win Case Over Counterfeiting
Four Orange County apparel makers said Wednesday that their joint investigation with law enforcement agencies has broken a big trademark counterfeiting operation in Los Angeles and that they have been awarded damages of almost $2 million in federal court.
Judge Robert M. Takasugi, of the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, ruled that a Los Angeles firm, Image Tee’s, infringed on the trademarks of Billy International Ltd., Mossimo Inc., Quiksilver Inc. and Stussy Inc., spokesmen for the Orange County companies said.
The judge ordered Harry Nalbandbashian and Peter Hoon Woo, operators of Image Tee’s, to pay damages totaling $1.95 million to the four companies. The damages were based partly on the number of shirts seized at Image Tee’s shop at 1368 E. 15th St., said Marc Seltzer, attorney for the garment makers.
Seltzer said Image Tee’s is no longer operating. Nalbandbashian and Woo could not be reached Wednesday.
Frank Sinatra Jr., president of Irvine-based Stussy, a well-known beachwear maker, said a recent raid by Los Angeles police and U.S. marshals turned up 20,000 T-shirts bearing Stussy’s label. Other clothing seized had labels with the names of Mossimo, Quiksilver and Billabong, the trademark owned by Billy International.
Law enforcement was alerted by private investigators hired by the four garment makers, company spokesmen said.
Sinatra, who is not related to the famous singer, said his firm joined with three rivals to hire private investigators “because counterfeiting is such a serious issue that it crosses over competitive lines.”
Sinatra and the attorney for the companies said it was unclear whether the defendants had money to pay the damages.
