A Tennessee hair salon selling imitation Coach handbags is being taken to task by the fashion giant. The New York company has served Hair in XS, and its proprietor Kitsana Insyxiengmay Thephavong, with lawsuits for a series of offences related to copyright infringement.
It seems strange that a small salong in Murfreesboro would even be on the fashion giant’s radar, but apparently it sent an investigator to the premises after it was tipped off about the illegal activities. The private eye found he could buy an imitation Coach wallet for just $15, a fraction of the genuine article’s recommended retail value.
The papers served to Hair in XS and Thephavong cite a range of crimes including trademark counterfeiting, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, copyright infringement, false designation of origin and false advertising, Tennessee deceptive trade practices and Tennessee common law trademark violations. If these charges are proved in a court, Thephavong will face some pretty hefty damages.
Understandably Thephavong has gone to ground and is refusing to speak to the media. Something tells me that keeping quiet might be the best move.
This case serves as a timely warning to other companies that no business is small enough to get away with copyright infringement.
