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Philip Morris sues New York importers for counterfeit cigarettes |
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Written by Felix Da Silva (fdasilva@bitnip.com)
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Friday, 11 January 2008 |
 Philip Morris is suing two New York-based businesses, claiming they imported counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes from China. They are seeking an injunction and unspecified damages from the two businesses.
According to tradingmarkets.com, Philip Morris sued 105 retailers in New York and New Jersey, claiming they sold Marlboro counterfeits in September.
The lawsuits filed this week in federal court in New York name C.H. Rhodes Inc. of Flushing, N.Y., and U.S. Sun Star Trading Inc. of Brooklyn, N.Y., as defendants. Philip Morris is seeking an injunction against the importing businesses and unspecified damages.
The lawsuits stem from seizures of counterfeit cigarettes by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Newark, N.J., in 2005 and 2006. In the 2005 seizure, C.H. Rhodes was the importer of record of 12,500 cartons of cigarettes, while in the 2006 seizure, U.S. Sun Star Trading was the importer of record of 3,950 cartons, according to the lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, both shipments were exported from China.
Asia is the primary source of counterfeit cigarettes, Philip Morris's spokesman David Sutton said. He said the company does not import Marlboro, so the product shipped from overseas is counterfeit or contraband.
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