DE4CC0DE-5FC3-4494-BCBF-4D50B00366B5
Technology

Amazon Wins EU Court Backing In Trade Mark Dispute With Coty

By Dayeeta Das
Share this article
Amazon Wins EU Court Backing In Trade Mark Dispute With Coty

Amazon is not liable for unwittingly stocking trade mark infringing goods for third-party sellers, Europe's top court said on Thursday, handing the US online retail giant victory in its battle against cosmetics company Coty.

The case, brought by Coty's German unit, underlines the tension between luxury goods companies seeking to preserve their exclusivity and branding and online platforms such as Amazon and eBay fighting against online sales curbs.

Brand names have also questioned the scope of online platforms' responsibility for products sold, or content transmitted, on their sites.

The Allegation

Amazon found itself in a German court after Coty said it violated its trade mark rights by stocking its Davidoff perfume for third party sellers and should be held responsible for such practices. The German court sought guidance from Europe's top tribunal.

The Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) backed the US company.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The mere storage by Amazon, in the context of its online marketplace (Amazon-Marketplace), of goods which infringe trade mark rights does not constitute an infringement by Amazon of those trade mark rights," judges said.

Amazon's scheme called "Fulfilled by Amazon" allows it to store and deliver goods for third-party sellers, one of the key features of its business model.

The company welcomed the ECJ's decision, saying in a statement "Amazon continues to invest heavily in fighting bad actors on our store and is committed to driving counterfeits to zero."

The case is C-567/18 Coty Germany.

News by ReutersClick subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.

Get the week's top grocery retail news

The most important stories from European grocery retail direct to your inbox every Thursday

Processing your request...

Thanks! please check your email to confirm your subscription.

By signing up you are agreeing to our terms & conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.