Is Selling Fake Bages Legal?

Advancements in ecommerce have encouraged many people to sell stuff online. However, fierce competition and big compaines in the market have limited the options of many budding entrepreneurs. Some of them start selling fake products either by mistake or intention. Have you thought about whether it’s legal or not to sell fake bags? Let’s find out!

The Simple Answer

In simple terms, according to the United States law, you are not allowed to sell fake bags in the market. The Federal Trademark Law, commonly known as Lanham Law, has made it clear that one cannot sell fake bags. Selling fake bags is also a violation of the Manufactured Goods Act. The laws are very straightforward about selling counterfeit bags.

Further Details

Collected.Reviews show that people are never happy when they buy fake bags after paying the price for the original bags. Learning about regulations is the only way to secure yourself from any counterfeit products.

Lanham Act

Lanham Act is an old act that was first in 1946. This act has gone through many amendments, which have strengthened it. In its essence, this act protects manufacturers against people and shopping websites that copy any details of a manufacturer. Lanham Act is applicable in all the US states, but some have their own copyright infringement laws as well. So in accordance with the Lanham Act, if someone is selling fake bags that copy the trademarks of original manufacturers, they might have to pay a huge fine, and government can seize the counterfeit products as well.

The Manufactured Goods Act

An important amendment in the Manufactured Goods Act known as “Stop Counterfeiting” was passed in 2006. This new regulation now controls any products that counterfeit the original identity marks and logos of a product. Stop Counterfeiting Law has enlisted all the details of counterfeit marks as well. Any tools and machines that are used to create counterfeit products and the counterfeit products will be forfeited to the authorities in case they are getting under notice. Relevant authorities now have the right to destroy counterfeit products and the tools used to produce them.

Drawing The Line

Indeed, selling fake bags is not allowed according to the law. However, due to a huge market, small manufacturers keep on producing fake bags and items. Are the authorities not acting properly to stop these fake sellers, or is there any legal workaround that allows them to keep working? Well, the reasons are legal. Here are the details.

Knockoffs

Suppose that you buy a bag that is identical to a famous brand. Now, unless it has engravings of the brand’s name or explicitly features its name, this bag will be considered a knockoff. There are still no regulations to control the knockoff bags. For obvious reasons, big brands want the Federal Government to introduce laws to stop the production of knockoffs.

Counterfeits

However, if you find a fake bag that somehow changes the original logo or copies it, then such a bag is a counterfeit, and selling such bags is illegal as per the law.

The Bottomline

It is better to stay away from fake and counterfeit products. Live in reality and follow the federal laws. Happy shopping!