有賣(mài)家收到亞馬遜的這樣一封通知郵件:
Hello from Amazon,
We are writing to inform you that your disbursements from your seller account have been placed on hold. We took this action in accordance with a Temporary Restraining Order issued by a federal court. Items that infringe another party's copyright, patent, trademark, design right, database right, or other intellectual property or other proprietary right are prohibited. For more information on this policy, search on "Prohibited Content" in seller Help.
To resolve this dispute, we suggest that you contact the rights owner directly:
Kiel James Patrick LLC
c/o Keith A. Vogt, Esq.
1033 South Blvd, Suite 200
Oak Park, IL 60302
keith@vogtip.com
If you resolve this matter with the rights owner, please advise them to contact us at notice-dispute@amazon.com to withdraw their complaint. We ask that you refrain from posting items that infringe the intellectual property rights of this rights owner until you have resolved this matter.
Failure to comply with our policies may result in the removal of your Amazon.com selling privileges.
We appreciate your cooperation and thank you for selling on Amazon.com.
Sincerely,
Seller Performance Team
需要說(shuō)明的是,這封郵件和之前關(guān)于侵權(quán)的通知郵件有較大的區(qū)別,在之前亞馬遜系統(tǒng)關(guān)于侵權(quán)的通知郵件中,要么是告知你Listing被移除,要么是告訴你賬號(hào)受限,同時(shí)提醒你如果能夠和權(quán)利人達(dá)成一致,Listing可以恢復(fù),賬號(hào)可以解限,但這封郵件里,直接涉及到的是關(guān)于賬號(hào)的資金問(wèn)題。
在郵件中,亞馬遜明確告訴你,根據(jù)聯(lián)邦法庭的要求,你賬號(hào)里的資金被暫扣了,需要你去和權(quán)利人協(xié)商。
如果說(shuō)在之前因?yàn)樯嫦忧謾?quán)的處理都是在亞馬遜系統(tǒng)內(nèi)進(jìn)行的話(huà),那么現(xiàn)在這封郵件則超出了亞馬遜的范疇,已經(jīng)上升到法律糾紛的事務(wù)了。
有賣(mài)家聯(lián)系了亞馬遜郵件中提供的權(quán)利人聯(lián)系方式,得到如下的回復(fù):
Dear Sirs:
The defendants operating the Defendant Internet Stores listed in Schedule A to the Complaint are hereby advised:
Plaintiff has charged Defendants with violations of United States federal and state trademark laws. A copy of the Complaint, TRO, and Summons is attached.
These and other legal documents may be obtained at the following website: http://vogtinternetenforcement ... 00650
Any answer or other response to the Complaint should be filed within twenty-one (21) days from the day you receive the summons.
The product accused of violating KJP’s rights may be found at the following URL:
https://www.amazon.comdddddddd ... ddddd(此處被刪)
If you are interested in settling the matter, please sign and return the below via e-mail and Amazon will be notified that the case has been resolved and to unfreeze the account.
CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
This Settlement Agreement (“Agreement”), effective as of the day upon which all parties to this Agreement have fully and finally executed this Agreement (the “Effective Date”), is made by and between Kiel James Patrick LLC (“KJP” or “Plaintiff”) and Redd..d.d.on that is operating as Amazon Store ID # A*******3M4 and described in line number 202 in Schedule A of the Complaint (collectively referred to herein as “Defendant”). KJP and Defendant are collectively referred to as the “Parties” and each individually as a “Party” in this Agreement.
WHEREAS, KJP filed Case No. 17-cv-00650 alleging, among other claims, Defendant’s infringing use of KJP’s ANCHOR DESIGN Trademark to promote and sell products not made by or under the authority of KJP.
WHEREAS, to avoid continued litigation, the Parties enter into this Agreement and by so doing seek to settle and release all claims arising and/or relating to the facts alleged in the Lawsuit, including claims and counterclaims which were actually asserted or which could have been asserted in the Lawsuit, based on conduct up to and including Effective Date.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and obligations hereto and other good and valuable consideration, the Parties agree as follows:
Defendant agrees to pay KJP 50% of the restrained funds in damages (the “Damages Amount”). Defendant authorizes Amazon to transfer the Damages Amount to KJP.
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Parties hereby release and forever discharge each other from all causes of action, claims, demands, attorney’s fees, costs, damages, and liabilities at law or in equity, arising out of or related to the Accused Products or the Lawsuit.
Upon the full execution of this Agreement and KJP’s receipt of the Damages Amount, KJP will dismiss its claims and notify Amazon to release the restraint.
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have duly executed this SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT with full authority to do so as of the day and year written below.
Sincerely,
/s/Keith Vogt
Keith A. Vogt, Esq.
On Behalf of Plaintiff
DEFENDANT
Signature: _________________________
Name: ____________________________
Title: ____________________________
Date: _____________________________
在權(quán)利人的回復(fù)中,權(quán)利人要求賣(mài)家簽署一份協(xié)議,同意支付凍結(jié)款項(xiàng)的50%作為補(bǔ)償,以此來(lái)達(dá)成和解。
顯然,這會(huì)超出大部分賣(mài)家的心理底線(xiàn)了。
有賣(mài)家懷疑這是否會(huì)是一種新型的詐騙,我覺(jué)得詐騙倒未必,但這一定是一波類(lèi)似于每年都會(huì)爆發(fā)幾次的Paypal釣魚(yú)事件中的專(zhuān)利流氓律師事務(wù)所的行為。
一些律師事務(wù)所,通過(guò)整合代理很多品牌的法律事務(wù),然后專(zhuān)門(mén)針對(duì)各個(gè)平臺(tái)涉嫌侵權(quán)的賣(mài)家進(jìn)行集中起訴,他們抓住中國(guó)賣(mài)家對(duì)美國(guó)法律的不熟悉以及在美國(guó)進(jìn)行法律程序的高額律師費(fèi)用,來(lái)對(duì)這些賣(mài)家索取賠償。
我們雖然痛恨這種流氓律所的所為,但是,面對(duì)現(xiàn)實(shí),勢(shì)單力薄的賣(mài)家確實(shí)沒(méi)有太多騰挪的空間,所以,在此,我也只能提醒各位賣(mài)家,在實(shí)際運(yùn)營(yíng)中,盡可能的小心謹(jǐn)慎,避免侵權(quán)行為的發(fā)生。畢竟,不涉及侵權(quán)的產(chǎn)品很多,在正常的運(yùn)營(yíng)中出現(xiàn)侵權(quán)糾紛,對(duì)于賣(mài)家來(lái)說(shuō),確實(shí)是一件得不償失甚至可能導(dǎo)致大傷元?dú)獾氖虑椤?br />
因?yàn)榍謾?quán)導(dǎo)致的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)已經(jīng)開(kāi)始升級(jí)了,賣(mài)家們一定要更加小心謹(jǐn)慎。
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