Corporate Anti-Counterfeit Initiatives: An Examination of Louis Vuitton

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The case against Louis Vuitton

On the other hand, the measures they took to fight against the business behaviour of counterfeiting may sometimes seem unreasonable.

It is reported that in 2005a total amount of 100,000 RMB nearly12,000 US dollars of the retailers in the Silk Street Market was adjudicated by the Beijing No.2 Intermediate People's Court to pay for the five companies who own the Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Burberry, Prada and Chanel brands as a compansation for selling fakes. Here is the story, Silk Street Market, where more than 1,500 vendors are quartered, is also known as a shopping hotspot for foreigners in Beijing, accused five international luxury brand companies including Louis Vuitton of measures of entrapment of fighting against counterfeiting, saying the companies sent people to the market specifically to buy fake goods. The market manager, saying “Silk Street Market failed to provide any evidence to prove its charge during the court trial" but still insisted that there’s little possibility selling pirate goods at the market, as a result the market is not responsible if fake goods are sold under the counter, for it is not capable for the market monitor all of its traders at every single time. Nevertheless “five companies maliciously induced market vendors to sell them fake products” Wang Zili, the manager illustrated the resolution of the Market that it will still make efforts in gathering evidence of entrapment against the five companies (China Daily, 2006) . If it is really a trap set by those luxury brand, although they temporarily reached their target to crack down counterfeiting, however, they took risk on their public image simultaneously by applying this type of method.

Yves Carcelle, chairman& CEO of Louis Vuitton Malletier once said, they have a zero tolerance for counterfeit. But it is still un expected to see the wrong way like entrapment to crack down on knock-off or counterfeit to protect the company profit. The social behaviour of corporations will not only influence the social order, but also, more importantly, for their own sake, their reputation and image known by public strongly dependent on what they do for the whole society rather than merely for themselves (Milan, 2006).

Conclusion

With the widespread of luxury brands, the counterfeit goods seem increasingly serious and even somewhat unavoidable. Trademark protection is currently a annoying difficulty and urgent social issue. At this moment we do need large luxury brands like Louis Vuitton who is also the most suffered victim to stands out , cracking down on knock-offs. The anti-counterfeit initiatives cannot only destroy the grey economy, protect corporation’s image and profit, but also give individual a right attitude to luxury brands and live a real style, not just pursue a luxury brand.

It is definitely the Louise Vuitton set good example in anti-counterfeits initiatives, like the case of ebay and Google, which really shows the determination to hit illegal vendors and show a positive effect. And the creative way to kid vendors is also a good manner to advertise themselves. But they sometimes indeed go too far and caused a negative effects in society. The entrapment case is such a example.

In large, Louise Vuitton made a great contribution in economy by using different way to crack down on counterfeits. And it is also expected that LV could always use a legal way to protect our common profits.

References

China Daily April 7, 2006. Silk Street Market Makes Entrapment Claim. Accessed 8th September

http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Apr/164926.htm

Dai Davis Google vs Louis Vuitton: When is a trade mark not a trade mark?. Accessed 8th September

http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Google-vs-Louis-Vuitton-When-is-a-trade-mark-not-a-trade-mark

Forbes, 2010. How to Spot a Fake Louis Vuitton. Accessed 8th September

http://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahelliott/2010/11/11/how-to-spot-a-fake-louis-vuitton/

Mark sweney 2010 http://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/mar/23/google-louis-vuitton-search-ads

Milan. Zafirovski. 2006. International Encyclopedia of Economic Sociology. Accessed 8 September

Vogue News 2012 Vuitton Values. Accessed 8th September

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2012/05/24/louis-vuitton-named-the-worlds-most-valuable-luxury-brand

Verena Dobnik and Bethan Mckernan .NYC debates down on counterfeit luxury goods

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/new-york-considers-crackdown-counterfeit-luxury

Wendy Lam, 2008 http://www.nitrolicious.com/blog/2008/04/03/louis-vuitton-x-murakami-monogramouflage-unveils/