SAN FRANCISCO (September 11, 2018) – JUUL Labs, Inc. announced today that it has filed trademark claims against 30 entities in China for selling counterfeit Juul products on eBay. The Federal Court in the Eastern District of Virginia granted the Company a temporary restraining order and froze the PayPal accounts of the entities that were selling fake product without regulatory oversight or the same stringent age verification processes JUUL employs. This filing represents the continued commitment of the Company to keep fake Juul products off the market in an effort to protect consumers and combat underage use.
The 30 entities in China sold counterfeit Juul products, including devices and pods, which potentially endangered the public because their sourcing and ingredients were unknown. Authentic JUUL-brand products, on the other hand, meet strict quality control standards. In addition, the Company employs strict age-verification processes on its e-commerce site, whereas counterfeiters do not verify age.
“Counterfeit products pose significant risk to the public, and we are taking swift action to stop those who are selling fake Juul products without age verification,” said Gerald Masoudi, Chief Legal Officer at JUUL Labs. “We will do everything in our power to restrict counterfeiters from flooding the market with fake product to protect consumers and combat underage use.”
In addition to restricting counterfeiters through the legal system, JUUL Labs is also working with online sales platforms, including Amazon and eBay, to take down illegal sales of its product. Since January 2018, JUUL has worked to remove more than 16,000 listings from online marketplaces, including eBay and Amazon. Only authorized dealers are permitted to sell JUUL products.
“The scale of counterfeit Juul products is alarming,” said Kevin Burns, Chief Executive Officer at JUUL Labs. “These products raise health concerns, since the ingredients and origin are unknown. These counterfeiters also drive a black market where there is no age verification. The temporary restraining order is an important first step, and we will take action against counterfeiters to protect consumers.”
About JUUL Labs
JUUL Labs is a technology company dedicated to eliminating cigarettes by offering existing adult smokers a true alternative to combustible cigarettes. The company’s research shows that more than one million smokers have already switched to JUUL, and we are working to enable millions more to switch in the coming years through technological innovations.
Media Contact: press@juul.com
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