American professional soccer league MLS’s superstar Lionel Andrés Messi, who plays for Inter Miami CF, has filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York Federal Court accusing a group of online retailers selling merchandise through e-commerce platforms of unauthorized use of his name and trademark to sell counterfeit products, misleading consumers.
According to reports from various English media outlets, Messi and his related companies have filed a complaint with the court, listing several mainland Chinese sellers operating online stores on platforms such as Temu and Walmart as defendants. The plaintiffs allege that these sellers have been selling a large quantity of products bearing the “MESSI” logo, including sportswear, sneakers, hats, and accessories, without authorization.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants have used Messi’s name and brand image to attract consumers, leading them to believe that the products are associated with Messi himself or his official brand, thereby obtaining undue profits. Such actions not only constitute trademark infringement but also damage the brand reputation that Messi has built over the years.
It is noted that such cases are not uncommon in the American e-commerce sector, especially with the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce platforms in recent years, where many sellers use low-cost channels to sell counterfeit goods. According to the complaint, the defendant sellers primarily reside in mainland China.
Data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the 2024 fiscal year shows that over ninety percent of the counterfeit goods seized in the United States originated from mainland China and Hong Kong.
In this case, Messi’s camp is seeking a court order to enjoin the related sellers to immediately cease the infringement, including taking down the involved products, closing the related online stores, and recovering illegal proceeds. Additionally, the plaintiffs are requesting the e-commerce platforms to cooperate by providing seller information and freezing related account funds to prevent asset transfers.
Legal experts point out that such lawsuits typically involve “Schedule A defendants,” where a large number of online stores are sued at once, accompanied by requests for temporary restraining orders (TRO) to swiftly combat infringement. If the court approves relevant applications, third-party payment platforms are often required to freeze funds, directly impacting the sellers’ operations.
The case is currently in the trial phase, and the court has not yet issued a final ruling.