Is your company and brand ready and aimed to fire against the
threats posed by unauthorized grey market goods and parallel
imports? Recently, Justin Pierce, a Partner in Venable's
Trademark Practice Group, presented "Combating Grey Market
Goods in the United States and Europe" at the 7th
Anti-Counterfeiting & Brand Protection Conference in New
York.
Differing from counterfeits, grey market goods, also known as
parallel imports, are genuine trademarked goods purchased outside
of a country (e.g., the United States) or a specified
territory by someone other than the designated/exclusive importer,
who then imports these goods into the United States for sale in
competition with exclusive or authorized U.S. importers and
distributors. Grey market goods can have a significant impact on a
business and its brand as such goods can, for example, cause: (1)
loss in profits and margins; (2) disruption to relations with
authorized or exclusive importers and distributors, and
