Latest news with #AlanChartash
Fashion United
09-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
Premier Brands Group faces legal dispute from Levi's over ‘counterfeit trafficking'
Denim brand Levi Strauss & Co. has filed a legal complaint against Premier Brands Group (PBG) in which it claims the New York-based firm had carried out a 'large-scale counterfeit trafficking operation' that infringed on its trademarks. In a filing with the California Northern District Court (case number 3:25-cv-03863), seen and initially reported on by the San Francisco Chronicle, it is alleged that PBG, its CEO Alan Chartash and several other defendants had knowingly bought and sold over 90,000 counterfeit 'Levi's' branded products, 'with no reasonable basis to believe that such products might be genuine'. According to Levi's, the said products 'were of exceeding low quality' and some came with 'obvious errors', such as wrongly spelled wording, allegedly proving PBG knew about the scheme. This, in turn, is said to have negatively affected Levi's brand image among consumers, the filing claims, and has resulted in the loss of 'millions of dollars' for the US label. Levi's is also claiming that the defendants had forged letters they said had come from the denim brand authenticating the 'counterfeited' goods and authorised their sale, helping PBG to carry out the trafficking scheme. Levi's noted that no agreement as stated in the apparently 'forged' letters had taken place and added that it had no partnership with PBG to this extent. Levi's is seeking monetary damages and a preliminary and permanent injunction to prohibit PBG from 'further acts of counterfeiting'. The brand has also called for the firm to destroy any and all products that "counterfeit or otherwise infringe or dilute the Ls&Co. trademarks'. FashionUnited has contacted Levi Strauss and Premier Brands Group with requests to comment.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Levi's Sues Premier Brands Group Over ‘Large-Scale Counterfeit Trafficking Operation'
Denim giant Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) has accused New York-based Premier Brands Group (PBG) of orchestrating 'a large-scale counterfeit trafficking operation,' in turn infringing on more than a dozen of its trademarks. According to the denim brand, PBG, its CEO Alan Chartash and a variety of Doe defendants—unknown individuals who allegedly took part in the counterfeiting scheme—knowingly bought and sold fake products. More from Sourcing Journal Freightmate AI Calls for Dismissal of 'Flimsy' Flexport Lawsuit New York Leads 12-State Coalition in Suing Trump Over 'Illegal' Tariffs Fabletics Slapped With Proposed Class Action Alleging Deceptive Membership Program 'Defendants purchased, marketed, resold and trafficked over 90,000 counterfeit 'Levi's'-branded products sourced from known counterfeit producers with no reasonable basis to believe that such products might be genuine,' Levi's said in its complaint. PBG, based in New York, absorbs excess inventory from global brands to resell to consumers. Levi's stated that the products allegedly sold by PBG 'were of exceeding low quality' and stated that some of the products bore 'obvious errors' that should have indicated their status as counterfeits. 'Certain of the counterfeit products themselves contained a basic error in the spelling of 'San Francisco,' making it 'Sans' or without Francisco, such that no reasonable person—let alone defendants who claim to have decades of industry experience—would have believed that the products were genuine,' Levi's wrote in the complaint. Those types of errors, Levi's claimed, negatively impacted its goodwill and reputation with consumers, who have come to expect a certain standard of quality from the legacy brand. That the products allegedly had such errors, Levi's said, shows that PBG willfully perpetuated a counterfeit scheme. But the errors on the alleged counterfeits aren't the only reason that Levi's believes PBG carried out its actions willfully and with knowledge. 'Defendants also trafficked in forged letters purported to come from LS&Co. Representatives, and which also counterfeited LS&Co.'s trademarks and purported to authenticate as genuine and authorize the further resale of these counterfeit products,' Levi's alleged, noting that some of these letters helped PBG 'accomplish their counterfeit trafficking scheme, despite the fact that these letters were obviously fake on their face.' Though the letters allegedly tried to show a connection between Levi's and PBG, the denim giant noted that it has no such agreement with the redistribution company. 'PBG is not a partner with LS&Co. Instead, PBG sources counterfeit products branded with the LS&Co. Trademarks from known counterfeit sources and then resells them to unsuspecting buyers, who purchase the counterfeits rather than genuine products,' the company alleges in its complaint. As a result of PBG's alleged actions, Levi's claimed that it has lost out on 'millions of dollars' in sales of its own products. It has accused PBG of federal trademark counterfeiting, federal trademark infringement, federal trademark dilution and other offenses. As such, Levi's has asked a judge for a preliminary and permanent injunction that would prohibit PBG, Chartash and the Doe defendants from 'further acts of counterfeiting, infringement, dilution and/or unfair competition with respect to LS&Co. And the LS&Co. trademarks.' It has also requested that a judge require PBG to 'deliver for destruction any and all products in [its] possession that counterfeit or otherwise infringe or dilute the LS&Co. trademarks' and made it clear that it will seek actual damages for any profits that PBG made off its allegedly illegal conduct at Levi's expense. Federal court records show that Premier Brands Group has not yet responded to the denim brand's complaint. PBG did not immediately return Sourcing Journal's request for comment on the lawsuit.
San Francisco Chronicle
05-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Levi's sues after ‘Sans' Francisco labels reveal massive fake jeans operation
Levi Strauss & Co. has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a New York company orchestrated a sprawling counterfeit operation involving more than 90,000 fake Levi's-branded products. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, names Premier Brands Group, Inc. and its owner, Alan Chartash, as defendants. Levi Strauss accuses the company of trafficking large volumes of counterfeit apparel — jeans, jackets, shirts and other items — bearing forged Levi's trademarks and falsely representing the goods as genuine. Levi's claims the fake documents were riddled with obvious errors, and the garments themselves were poorly made — some even containing tags referring to 'Sans' Francisco. 'LS&Co. has never been 'Sans' Francisco,' the company noted. Founded during the California Gold Rush in 1853, Levi Strauss is one of the world's largest and most recognized apparel brands, with its headquarters still in San Francisco. According to the lawsuit, Premier Brands sourced counterfeit merchandise from known producers and resold the products under the guise of legitimate inventory redistribution. The company's website claims it 'specializes in the redistribution of consumer products globally,' but Levi's alleges that the business model was a cover for trafficking in fakes. Levi Strauss is seeking damages, as well as a permanent injunction to halt what it calls a deliberate and harmful infringement of its intellectual property. The company says the scheme targeted its brand directly and caused significant damage to its 'fame, goodwill, recognition, and reputation for top quality and style.'
