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Author | Shidu, Nicole Disclaimer | This article is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission
1. Fan Heater
Heaters can provide consumers with a more comfortable living environment. Compared with traditional central heating systems, heaters are also more energy-efficient and can adjust the temperature according to actual needs to avoid energy waste. In addition, heaters are generally lightweight, easy to move and carry, and can be used in different places. As the public's demand for comfort and energy saving increases, the sales of heaters are also gradually increasing. The sales of such products on Amazon are very impressive, with the highest monthly sales reaching 40,000+. It is worth noting that a heater recently successfully obtained a US patent number, and its patent number is: US D1,010,078 S. It is reported that the patent belongs to domestic sellers and was officially approved on January 2, 2024. In the process of selling related products, sellers need to pay special attention to infringement risks and conduct comprehensive inspections. 2. Squishmallows Plush Toys
- Plaintiff: Kelly Toys Holdings, LLC
- Prosecution date: January 5, 2024
- Reason for prosecution: Trademark infringement
- Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- Law firm: EPSTEIN DRANGEL LLP
Kelly Toys specializes in the manufacture and sale of plush toys. It is a world-renowned toy manufacturer and distributor founded in 1986 and headquartered in California, USA. Kelly Toys has a very wide product line, including various types of plush toys, such as Squishmallows, Pillow Chums, Kellybaby and Kellypet, etc. Among them, Squishmallows plush toys are the main representative brand of Kelly Toys, which debuted in 2017. Image from Squishmallows official website It is worth noting that Kelly Toys pays special attention to the protection of intellectual property rights and owns multiple trademarks and copyrights, including Squishmallows, FlipaZoo, Smoochy Pals and PopOhVer and a host of other well-known brands. The following three trademarks are mainly mentioned in this lawsuit, and sellers need to be vigilant: 3. NIKE
- Prosecution date: January 4, 2024
- Reason for prosecution: Trademark infringement
- Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
NIKE is a world-renowned sports brand whose product lines cover sports shoes, clothing and other fields. Image source: Nike official website NIKE's brand logo is a simple hook shape, which has become one of Nike's iconic images and is highly recognizable. NIKE was once accused and investigated for trademark infringement, which prompted it to pay more attention to the protection of intellectual property rights. It is worth noting that "Dri-Fit" and "Dri Fit" are also registered trademarks of Nike: NIKE is the legal owner of the following trademarks, which are registered on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Principal Register: In addition, NIKE has also cooperated with many NBA stars to launch joint series. The following trademarks cannot be used easily:
1. Switchblade
It is learned that according to foreign media reports, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) recently discovered that products such as switchblades, stun guns and brass knuckles, which are considered banned weapons in Canada, are actually sold openly on the Amazon platform. CBC pointed out that a knife described as a "camping knife" was very popular on Amazon, with more than 300 sold last month. But in fact, it is a switchblade, which is a banned weapon in Canada. Until last week, Amazon showed that the knife was in stock and could be shipped within two days.
CBC found that in addition to switchblades, other products considered prohibited weapons, such as stun guns and brass knuckles, were also sold on Amazon Canada. For example, the following stun device is described on Amazon as a multi-function flashlight.
Amazon responded that all the above products have now been removed from the shelves. Barbara Agrait, a spokesperson for the company, said in an email that Amazon has always had monitoring measures to prevent the sale of prohibited products such as weapons, and that Amazon uses technology to scan products in stores to prevent prohibited items from being mixed in. Regarding the case of the switchblade, she said that bad actors circumvented the system's monitoring. Amazon has removed the problematic products and terminated the bad actors' business licenses on Amazon. Amazon will also contact law enforcement agencies to destroy the remaining related products in stock. It is understood that such violations are usually enforced by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Last year, the CBSA filed criminal and Customs Act charges against several Canadians, including at least two cases involving weapons shipped from China. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the CBSA seized 18,359 prohibited weapons (excluding seized firearms).
2. Retrospec Kids Bike Helmet On January 4, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Canadian Ministry of Health jointly issued a notice announcing the recall of a children's bicycle helmet that was popular on Amazon. The recall involves Retrospec children's bicycle helmets, model number Scout, in sizes XS or S. The helmets are sold with a green hang tag that has the "Retrospec" name, the Scout brand name, and the size of the helmet on it. The CPSC said in the announcement that the recalled helmets do not meet the coverage, position stability and labeling requirements of the CPSC Federal Bicycle Helmet Safety Regulations. In the event of a collision, the helmets may not protect children, posing a risk of head injuries to them. The helmet was sold from February 2019 to March 2023 on Retrospec.com and Amazon.com, as well as offline stores such as T Scheels and Play it Again Sports, priced between $18 and $23. Approximately 72,000 units were sold in the United States, and approximately 150 units were sold in Canada. 3. Lithium battery
Recently, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned consumers to immediately stop using Zautnkn.Inc lithium-ion replacement battery packs due to the risk of fire. The battery pack is produced by a company in Ganzhou, sold on Amazon and described as a replacement for the battery pack used in the Dyson V6 cordless vacuum cleaner, but in fact, it is not a Dyson or Dyson-authorized product. According to the CPSC, the Zautnkn.Inc battery packs do not comply with the UL 1642 standard, meaning the product's performance and safety have not been verified to meet national safety standards. So far, the CPSC has received three reports of fires and one report of smoke inhalation associated with the battery packs. This lithium-ion replacement battery pack is silver and fits into the handle of your Dyson vacuum cleaner. It has a capacity of 3,000 mAH and a voltage of 21.6 volts when fully charged. Amazon ASIN is B093Y1KK5Q and it costs between $15 and $40. The CPSC stressed that it had issued a violation notice to the manufacturing company, but the company did not cooperate with the CPSC in recalling the product or provide remedies to consumers. CPSC urges consumers to immediately remove the battery pack from the vacuum cleaner and dispose of it in accordance with local ordinances or regulations. In addition, due to potential safety concerns, Dyson recommends that consumers do not use third-party batteries in its products. It is understood that major e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, are continuously increasing their review of non-compliant products and problematic products . Cross-border sellers selling related products must seize the time to conduct self-inspections and remove related products as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary losses due to product safety issues in the future.
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