Spin Master, the leading global children's entertainment company behind the hit toys inspired by Nickelodeon and Spin Master's hit CG-animated preschool series, is suing Chinese counterfeiters who are duping millions of people with fake PAW Patrol toys, reports Inquisitr. Spin Master Inc. holds several trademarks for the popular series and is the only company allowed to create PAW Patrol products.
The Chinese counterfeiters hide their identities fairly well, and frequently consumers have no clue they're buying a fake PAW Patrol toy from various websites. Spin Master Inc. is now campaigning to have the websites shut down and anyone caught to pay damages, according to TMZ.
In the suit, Spin Master says the counterfeiters also use online aliases to avoid detection -- and ship their bogus toys in small quantities to avoid getting caught by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Spin Master Inc. sells some of the world's trendiest brands, including Zoomer®, Bakugan®, Erector® by Meccano®, Hatchimals®, Air Hogs® and PAW Patrol®. Since 2000, Spin Master has received 92 TIA Toy of The Year (TOTY) nominations with 28 wins across a variety of product categories, including 13 TOTY nominations for Innovative Toy of the Year, more than any of its competitors. And although some toy companies have felt the consequences of the Toys ‘R’ Us closures, some analysts believe that Spin Master Inc. will fare well in the future. PAW Patrol is one of the most significant parts of the Spin Master's business.
PAW Patrol stars a pack of six heroic rescue pups – Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma and Skye – who are led by a tech-savvy boy named Ryder. Together, they work hard to protect the Adventure Bay community believing, “no job is too big, no pup is too small!” The series features a curriculum that focuses on citizenship, social skills and problem-solving as the characters use their unique skills and teamwork. The show is produced in Canada by Spin Master and airs on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels worldwide.
Two months ago, Spin Master Inc. also lodged a lawsuit against Mattel. The company claimed that Mattel was using a patented mechanism in their Mecard toys, reported CBC. The lawsuit said that “Spin Master will suffer and is suffering irreparable harm from Mattel’s infringement of Spin Master’s patents due to, among other things, lost business opportunities, lost market share, and price erosion.”
PAW Patrol toys are just one of many desirable merchandise that have been victim to counterfeiting. In China, 33 people were arrested this month for producing counterfeit cigarettes. The gang allegedly churned out as many as 10,000 cigarettes a day, detailed the South China Morning Post.
During the raid, 200 police officers and other law enforcement worked together to arrest 33 people and arrest 78,000 cigarettes.
Also this month, 15 people were arrested in China for an alleged illegal alcohol operation. Three gangs were creating counterfeit brands of popular alcohol. This was done simply by placing cheap alcohol into counterfeit bottles.
The problem of counterfeit alcohol is so widespread that it reportedly affects liquor stores, restaurants, and grocery stores on a regular basis, detailed the Independent.
Counterfeit items also made headlines when it was reported that 3,500 Chinese had bought fake tickets to the World Cup. These tickets were believed to have been sold to the Chinese by the Russians, who targeted tourists and travel agents, said New Straits Times. Upon investigation, a Russian company called the “Anzhi Company” forged written approval to sell World Cup tickets. The fake tickets were bought by many travel agencies, who passed them on to unwitting Chinese tourists.
More Nick: Nickelodeon USA To Premiere New 44-Minute 'PAW Patrol' Special "The Mighty Pups" During Fall 2018; 'Abby Hatcher, Fuzzly Catcher' During Late 2018 - Early 2019!
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