Textile business pays "substantial" out of court settlement for counterfeit products

LICENSING business Character World has agreed an out of court settlement with a Birmingham textile business accused of copying its products and infringing its intellectual property. 

Character World works with brands including Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Lego, Nickelodeon and Warner Bros to produce bedding products featuring well-known characters and supply retailers across the UK – these products also bear Character World’s trademarks.  

Textile business HIS Textiles was accused of importing and supplying counterfeit duvet cover sets featuring Character World’s trademarks and passing them off as being made by Character World. 

The case reached settlement one week before it was due to be heard in the High Court.

The settlement will see Character World receive a “substantial” undisclosed sum covering legal costs and compensation from the main defendant, Haji Ismail and Sons, which trades as HIS Textiles.  

HIS Textiles also consented to judgment against them with a wide injunction that in future it would not infringe the intellectual property rights or trademarks of Character World or pass off any of its products as authentic Character World products. 

Mark Schweiger, joint managing director of Character World, said: “We have built up a reputation over the past two decades for producing high quality products and supplying retailers across the globe.

“We have always believed in doing business fairly and I’m pleased that this case is now closed and a satisfactory conclusion reached.”