American Eagle Outfitters has ignited a fierce legal battle with Amazon over claims of trademark infringement and deceptive marketing practices related to its Aerie and Offline by Aerie brands. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses the e-commerce giant of leveraging trademarked branding from Aerie to drive traffic to Amazon’s site and sell inferior knock-off products.
Deceptive Practices and 'Dupe Culture'
The essence of American Eagle's complaint centers on what it describes as Amazon's “flagrant, unauthorized use” of the Aerie and Offline by Aerie trademarks. Allegedly, Amazon has utilized these trademarks in its sponsored advertisements, advertisement URLs, page titles, and search results. Consumers searching for genuine Aerie products are consequently directed to Amazon, only to find themselves purchasing dupes—knock-offs of lower quality but deceptively similar designs and appearances.
American Eagle contends that these actions deceive consumers and undermine Aerie’s brand integrity. American Eagle claims that despite rejecting Amazon’s request to sell Aerie products directly on its platform, Amazon continued manipulating online search results, featuring Aerie branding to redirect users to counterfeit goods. Terms like "Aeries," "Arie," and "Aries" were strategically misspelled to bypass potential legal scrutiny while still misleading customers.
American Eagle's Legal Pursuit
American Eagle's filing demands that Amazon cease these allegedly deceptive practices immediately. In addition to seeking an injunction, the lawsuit aims to triple its actual damages, punitive damages, and a halt to further trademark infringements.
For context, Aerie, launched by American Eagle in 2006, has increased to become a beloved lifestyle brand offering intimates, cozy apparel, swimwear, and activewear under the subsidiary line Offline by Aerie. The company is vigorously defending its brand identity and consumer trust, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in the consumer marketplace.
Amazon's History with Counterfeits
This isn't the first time Amazon has faced accusations regarding counterfeit goods. The company has a long history of dealing with intellectual property issues. Notably, in 2016, Birkenstock withdrew its products from Amazon following a spike in fake listings. German automaker Daimler AG sued Amazon the same year after discovering fraudulent versions of Mercedes-Benz wheels sold on the platform.
Amazon has attempted to mitigate these issues by creating a specialized team to address counterfeits, launching tools to help brands protect their trademarks, and even pursuing criminal action against counterfeiters. However, complaints persist, suggesting these measures have not fully resolved the problem.
Amazon representatives have not issued a public statement in response to American Eagle's recent complaint. Historically, the company has maintained that it prohibits the sale of counterfeit goods and continues to refine its processes to eliminate such occurrences.
