The brandnames of the big fashionhouses are very valuable. Everybody knows these brands and buy them for the quality and status they represent. Because these brandnames are so valuable, they are subject to counterfeiters all over the world.

Two Los Angeles-area residents appeared in federal court, charged separately with trafficking in counterfeit designer goods. One of them operated a warehouse in Monterey Park that was used to store and sell counterfeit goods, including products that appeared to be manufactured by companies such as Gucci America, Louis Vuitton Malletier, Burberry Limited and others. Approximately 570 cartons of counterfeit goods that authorities estimate were worth more than $6 million were seized by Special Agents with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 1, 2003

A famous french fashionhouse has been trying to deal with these problems for years. Its "look alike" products were sold via hundreds of sites, including the big auctionsites. The owners of these sites got their products mainly from south-east Asia. The counterfeit products were very professionally made and confusingly similar to the real product for the unknowing consumer.

With help from Pretection these sites could be taken of the Internet and even the supply chain has been dealt with. Pretection delivered valuable information about the owners of the sites, their addresses, links and other sites they own. With this information the lawyers of the famous french brand owner had enough evidence to pick-up the counterfeiter in Malaysia.

Pretection keeps on monitoring the Internet for more of these infringements and supplies its customer with valuable data. Many more will be dealt with in the near future.