Sesame Workshop claims that these sellers use its trademarks and copyrighted works  without permission, misleading consumers into thinking the products are genuine. The organization explains that this type of counterfeiting not only harms its reputation but also confuses buyers, reduces the value of its brand, and diverts sales from legitimate, licensed products.

The lawsuits describe Sesame Street’s long history and its global cultural impact, noting the extensive protections the organization has obtained through U.S. trademark and copyright registrations, including more than 39 copyrights and trademarks. They also point to the economic consequences of counterfeit goods, referencing reports that show job losses and lost tax revenue caused by infringing imports.

Authentic Product

Plaintiffs North Atlantic Operating Company, Inc. (NAOC), National Tobacco Company, L.P. (NTC), and Republic Technologies International S.A.S. (Republic) have brought claims of counterfeiting and trademark infringement against Indiana Import LLC, its owners Ameer A. Salama and Shaker M. Hussein, as well as Areej 2020 Inc., doing business as Smoke & Vape Zone, an Ohio corporation.

The plaintiffs allege that the defendants have been selling and distributing counterfeit versions of their products, particularly cigarette rolling papers that carry imitations of their ZIG ZAG™ and NORTH ATLANTIC OPERATING COMPANY™ trademarks. Investigators working for the plaintiffs claimed to have been able to make multiple purchases from 2023 through 2025, buying large quantities of rolling papers directly from Indiana Import’s business address, the owners’ residences in Fishers, Indiana, and from Smoke & Vape Zone in Hamilton, Ohio. The plaintiffs claim the seized items used counterfeit versions of their marks and were sold at prices well below those of authentic ZIG-ZAG™ products.

The top photo has Tara Mapes’ copyright watermark on it. The bottom photograph, while nearly identical, has Angelic Ice Photography Branding instead of Tara Mapes’ watermark.

A new lawsuit has been filed by photographer and digital artist Tara Mapes, who claims her copyrighted work has been repeatedly copied and distributed without permission through Facebook groups. Mapes, who lives in Guilford, Indiana, alleges that her original images and design templates were taken, altered, and sold by individuals and businesses online, with some groups having memberships in the hundreds of thousands.

The complaint names as defendants several unidentified individuals who manage the Facebook groups, a South African business called Angelic Ice Photography and its owner Tanisha Lloyd, and Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook. Mapes asserts that Angelic Ice, for example, removed her watermarks, replaced them with its own branding, and used her creations to advertise its services to tens of thousands of followers.

Allseason IpCo, which sells health supplements under the brand name CLEAN NUTRA or CLEAN NUTRACEUTICALS, claims that it owns the rights to several trademarks and copyrights, including the label for its product “VASCU GLOW” (Registration Number VA 2-454-182) The company says it discovered that the defendants were selling a nearly identical product on Amazon through the seller name VIFSSG, using what Allseason describes as a copied version of its copyrighted product label.

According to the complaint, Allseason filed a takedown notice with Amazon in July 2025, which resulted in the removal of the disputed product. Shortly afterward, the defendants submitted a counter-notice to Amazon stating that the removal was based on a mistake or misidentification. Allseason argues that this counter-notice was a false statement because the defendants were not authorized to use its copyrighted work. Under the DMCA, such a counter-notice caused Amazon to reinstate the listing unless Allseason filed a lawsuit within ten business days, which led to this legal action.

Camco, a company based in North Carolina with more than five decades in the recreational vehicle, boating, and camping accessories market, claims that Seaflo has copied its distinctive orange trade dress used on sewer hoses and fittings for RVs. According to the complaint, Camco has sold products with this design since 2006 and holds a federal trademark registration (U.S. Reg. No. 5,864,456) for the use of the color orange on those products. Camco argues that Seaflo’s products are so similar in appearance that consumers could be misled into believing they originate from or are associated with Camco.

In addition to the trade dress allegations, Camco asserts that Seaflo has infringed several of its patents, including one covering a corrugated hose with a bayonet connector (US Patent 11/732,829 B1) and another covering the ornamental design of a tongue jack pad (US Patent D893,120 S1). Camco claims that Seaflo’s competing sewer hose kits and jack stands are identical or nearly identical to its patented designs and therefore violate U.S. patent law.

JD Sports Fashion Plc, based in the United Kingdom, operates thousands of stores worldwide and more than 300 in the United States. It holds several federal trademark registrations for “JD” and “JD Sports,” some classified as incontestable under U.S. law. The company states it has used these marks in the U.S. for years, first through online sales and later through physical stores, including several in Pennsylvania.

J.D. Sport LLC, founded in 1989 in Pennsylvania, operates a single store that provides custom embroidery, screen printing, and team apparel for local schools and organizations. The business does not have federal trademark registrations and instead relies on common law rights tied to its local use of the “J.D. Sport” name.

According to the complaint, Taggart created and licensed a photograph of a line at a Manhattan bar, first published in March 2020 and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office the following month. He alleges that The Long Drink Company copied and posted the image on both its Instagram and Facebook pages in February 2025 as part of promotional content. Taggart says he did not grant a license or authorization for these uses and only discovered the posts in June 2025.

The filing accuses the company of knowingly engaging in copyright infringement by reproducing and displaying the photograph for commercial gain. Taggart claims the posts boosted the company’s online traffic and business revenue while undermining the market value of his work. He also argues that the company failed to maintain proper copyright compliance policies, amounting to willful disregard of the law.

The lawsuit alleges that Bestrenogy is infringing on Cheng’s U.S. Patent No. 12,113,377, which covers a specific type of power conversion technology used in their popular WF-9855 converter charger.  According to Cheng, Bestrenogy has been manufacturing, importing, using, and selling — or offering to sell — its AD-CB Battery Charger 9800 Series in the United States, and that this product incorporates technology covered by Cheng’s patent without authorization. The complaint includes images and descriptions of Bestrenogy’s product sold on Amazon.com that Cheng claims directly infringes on the patent.

Cheng further accuses Bestrenogy of willful infringement, meaning it believes the defendant knew about the patent and still proceeded with the infringing activity. In addition to patent infringement, Cheng is also bringing claims of unfair competition and false designation of origin. The company alleges that Bestrenogy’s marketing materials, including the use of certain symbols, customer service contacts, and product descriptions, could mislead consumers into believing Bestrenogy’s products are associated with or approved by Cheng.