IRVINE, Calif. - April 24, 2020 - (Newswire.com)
P&P Imports LLC recently secured a permanent injunction and an undisclosed settlement against Apple Tree International Corp., Xiao Min personally, and several related companies permanently and forever enjoining Apple Tree International from infringing P&P Imports’ intellectual property, including copyrights and trade dress related to a number of its products.
On August 28, 2018, P&P Imports filed suit against Apple Tree International Corp in the Central District of California [Case No. 8:18-cv-01542-JLS-ADS.] for trade dress infringement, copyright infringement, false advertisement, and unfair competition. The suit alleges that Apple Tree and Co-Defendants identified top-selling P&P products and rushed out low-quality imitations that violated P&P’s intellectual property causing customer confusion.
Co-Owner of P&P Imports, Peter Engler commented, “This is another great victory for P&P that reinforces the importance of our intellectual property. This settlement also frees up more legal resources so we can refocus our enforcement efforts on other infringers. Our goal is always to make it easy for the consumer to quickly recognize and find our products without having the impossible burden of sorting through knock-offs online.”
P&P amended its complaint to add Apple Tree’s CEO, Xiao Min, individually as P&P alleged that Xiao Min acted personally, outside his role as CEO in the formation of the alleged related brands. The Court agreed. Co-Owner of P&P Imports, Peter Tanoury, added: “It has traditionally been difficult to go after infringers who try to shield themselves through foreign companies, but our persistent strategy has paid off to protect our customers and brand.”
Known entities in active concert with the Defendants are: Apple Tree International Corp., Shanghai Lowen Group, Yiwu Meiwang Limited, Ningbo Zeny Products, Shanghai Guanniu Limited, Cascade Trading Ltd., and Cherry Tree International Corporation and sold goods under brands F2C, Zeny, Zeny Products, ZenSports, ZenStyle, Smartxchoices, Cirocco, Nova Microdermabrasion, Segawe, And Lemy.
On April 17, 2020, Judge Staton of the Central District Court of California entered an Order for Permanent Injunction and Settlement of Claims against Apple Tree and Xiao Min from copying or making products that include P&P’s trade dresses including its Slammo roundnet game, its Giant Four in a Row game set, its Red and Blue Cornhole Set, and its PVC Framed Red and Blue Cornhole set. The Defendants were further enjoined from using any of P&P Imports copyrighted materials, including the copyrights that P&P alleged were stolen by Apple Tree and used to market and sell its goods.
Casey Kempner, General Counsel of P&P Imports added, “This is another big win for consumers and P&P Imports LLC alike.”
About P&P Imports
Based in Irvine, California, P&P Imports was founded in 2007 by entrepreneurs Peter Engler and Peter Tanoury. Since then, the firm has grown from being a small online party accessory company to a leading sporting goods and outdoor games enterprise with more than 600 fun-in-the-sun recreational products. P&P Imports has proudly appeared on Orange County Business Journal’s “Fastest-Growing Private Companies” since 2015 and operates under three brands: GoSports, GoFloats, and GoPong.
To learn more, visit http://www.pandpimports.com
Media Contact:
Casey Kempner
General Counsel, P&P Imports LLC
Ckempner@pandpimports.com
Related Files
Dkt69 - Order for Permanent Injunction and Settlement of Claims.pdf
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Original Source: P&P Imports LLC Secures Permanent Injunction Against Apple Tree International Corp. and Xiao Min
