Photo credit: www.bmwusa.com
How would you feel after buying tires that you thought were authentic BMW tires? Or… What if you KNEW that they were knockoffs, exact replicas with the BMW logo for half the price?
The German automaker, BMW, discovered that Mazz Auto Group, an American company, was producing and selling wheels, rims, and center caps with their trademarked name and logos. BMW is suing them for trademark and design patent infringement and asking for, wait for it… $2 million for each item that was counterfeited, along with damages, profits, and attorneys’ fees. Yikes!!
Mazz Auto Group operates a store and website, and manages Craigslist ads to sell these counterfeited products, all with the BMW trademarks and design patents. This is concerning for many obvious intellectual property reasons to BMW, but because the tires are not made by them, they will not be made with the quality that BMW ensures. The tires may crack or break under pressure and that is dangerous for anyone on the road.
With all the design patents and trademarks that BMW owns, this looks to be a costly lawsuit for Mazz Auto Group.
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Written by: Teresa Nguyen