David Beckham’s massive lawsuit against sellers of fake products has reportedly inspired other celebrities, including Harry Styles, to take similar legal action.
Last year, Beckham won a major court case against people selling counterfeit versions of his branded products online. Beckham, who lends his name to clothing, fragrances, eyewear, and accessories, runs a company called DB Ventures. The company was originally seeking £1.58 billion from about 150 online sellers.
Court documents showed that fake Beckham products were being sold on popular websites like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Many of the sellers were based in China or other parts of Asia.
Following Beckham’s legal success, reports say other stars are now taking action. According to The Sun, Harry Styles has begun pursuing online sellers accused of selling fake merchandise using his name. Paperwork filed in the United States claims these sales damage the reputation and value of the Harry Styles brand.
The legal action connected to Harry is believed to have been filed by Merch Traffic LLC, the company that handles his merchandise in the U.S. The company also works with major artists such as Metallica, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Hozier, Tate McRae, and The Ramones on similar cases.
Sources say Beckham’s win has encouraged many artists to act. They want to stop low-quality fake merchandise from being sold to fans who think they are buying official products. As more celebrities succeed in court, it may become harder for counterfeit sellers to continue operating.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Beckham won around £240 million in damages from counterfeit sellers. The fake items included clothing, shoes, perfumes, hair and body products, posters, footballs, video games, eyewear, jewelry, and watches.
Legal filings say the sale of these fake goods harms DB Ventures’ brand, causes financial losses, and misleads customers. Beckham’s company worked with trademark lawyers to track and shut down the sellers, even though many used false contact details to hide their identities. Lawyers involved said legal action was the only effective way to stop the counterfeit operations.
