Amazon and Asmodee File Joint Lawsuit Against Counterfeiters

Today, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Asmodee Group SAS (Asmodee) jointly filed a lawsuit against two defendants for counterfeiting the popular and award-winning card game sets, Dixit: Daydreams Expansion and Dixit: Revelations Expansion. Asmodee Group is a leading board game publisher and distributor. The defendants, based in Brooklyn, New York, attempted to offer the counterfeit products in Amazon’s store, which violates Amazon’s policies, infringes on Asmodee’s trademarks, and breaks the law.

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. It alleges that the two defendants used Asmodee’s registered trademarks without authorization to deceive customers about the authenticity and origin of the products and create a false affiliation with Asmodee. Amazon closed the defendants’ selling account and proactively refunded the impacted customers.

"Amazon strives to be the Earth’s most customer-centric company and provide the world’s largest selection of authentic products, at low prices, and with convenient and fast delivery,” said Kebharu Smith, director of the Counterfeit Crimes Unit at Amazon. “We make significant investments in industry-leading, proactive controls leveraging advanced machine learning and expert investigators to ensure our store only contains authentic products for sale. If a counterfeiter attempts to take advantage of our customers or partners like Asmodee, our Counterfeit Crimes Unit will hold them accountable through civil litigation or criminal referral to law enforcement.”

Amazon strictly prohibits infringing and counterfeit products in its store, and in 2020, Amazon invested more than $700 million and employed more than 10,000 people to proactively protect its store from fraud, counterfeit, and abuse. Amazon uses industry-leading tools to verify potential sellers’ identities and ensure product listings are authentic, and Amazon’s proprietary systems analyze hundreds of unique data points to verify information provided by potential sellers. In 2020, only 6% of attempted new seller account registrations passed Amazon’s robust verification processes and listed products for sale. In addition, fewer than 0.01% of all products sold on Amazon received a counterfeit complaint from customers.

In June 2020, Amazon launched its Counterfeit Crimes Unit, a global team dedicated to pursuing counterfeiters and holding them accountable to the fullest extent of the law, including by working through the court system and in partnership with law enforcement. Amazon has filed a series of lawsuits against counterfeiters, including a suit against individuals using social media to promote and facilitate the sale of counterfeits, as well as joint lawsuits with apparel manufacturer HanesBrands, Italian luxury brands Valentino and Ferragamo, cosmetics brand KF Beauty, family travel accessory brand JL Childress, cooler manufacturer YETI, and family-owned-and-operated card game company Dutch Blitz.

“The joint lawsuit with Amazon underlines how the protection of our brands is key for Asmodee,” said Céline Bucki, Group Legal Director of Asmodee. “We want to be sure that people will share the joy of playing with their families and friends, with high quality products, that respect creativity and innovation from our teams, and showcase our manufacturing and distribution partners’ quality standards.”

Founded in 1995, Asmodee is a leading games publisher and distributor with global blockbusters, including: A Game of Thrones: The Board Game; Ticket to Ride; Spot It!/Dobble; Pandemic; and CATAN. Asmodee products are sold internationally, including through Amazon.com. In July 2020, Asmodee acquired Libellud, which developed the award-winning storytelling game, “Dixit.” Children and adults alike enjoy using “Dixit” cards, which feature gorgeous, imaginative artwork, to create stories. There are now 10 “Dixit” companion expansion sets, such as “Daydreams” and “Revelations,” which allow players to supplement their “Dixit” game with additional story cards. The tenth “Dixit” expansion set recently launched, commemorating over a decade of success.

The court filings are available here:

• Case: 2:21-cv-00850, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington

Amazon has an extensive history protecting brands and taking action to hold bad actors accountable:

• Amazon and HanesBrands File Joint Lawsuits Against Infringers of Champion Trademarks
• Amazon Published Comprehensive Brand Protection Report Demonstrating Progress Toward Driving Counterfeits to Zero
• Amazon Establishes Counterfeit Crimes Unit to Bring Counterfeits to Justice
• Amazon Launches IP Accelerator in Europe to Help Small Businesses Protect Their Brands and Tackle Counterfeit
• IPR Center, Amazon Launch ‘Operation Fulfilled Action’ to Stop Counterfeiters
• Amazon Files Lawsuit Against Counterfeiters Using Social Media to Promote Sales
• Amazon Supports Investigation, Prosecution of New York Defendants Charged in Fraud Scheme
• Amazon and KF Beauty File Joint Lawsuit Against Counterfeiters
• Amazon and Valentino File Joint Lawsuit Against New York-Based Counterfeit
• Amazon and YETI File Joint Lawsuit against Counterfeiters
• Amazon and Dutch Blitz File Joint Lawsuit against Counterfeiters
• Amazon and Salvatore Ferragamo File Two Joint Lawsuits Against Counterfeiters and Salvatore Ferragamo File Two Joint Lawsuits Against Counterfeiters

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About Asmodee Group SAS

Asmodee Group is a leading international games publisher and distributor committed to telling amazing stories through great games with over 39 million games sold in more than 50 countries. Through our portfolio of game titles, including Catan, Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Dead of Winter, Splendor, 7 Wonders, Just One, Dobble/Spot it!, KeyForge and Star Wars: X-Wing, we create a dynamic transmedia experience for players across a variety of digital and physical platforms. Asmodee also creates inspiring and innovative products in partnership with leading entertainment and technology companies. With a global workforce of over 1,800 people, Asmodee operates in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. Asmodee is headquartered in Guyancourt, France. Learn more at corporate.asmodee.com.

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