July 2026
Legal Successes help protect european markets
ICCE members are protecting their intellectual property, to safeguard fair competition, a level playing field, and to protect customers (illustrative picture).
Legal action is one element of ICCE’s strategy to combat counterfeiting and intellectual property (IP) infringement. They go hand in hand with other activities, such as cooperating with law enforcement officials against sources of illicit products, as done in the recent seizures in Türkiye, and collaborating with online marketplaces and stores, including Amazon, to tackle illicit products on digital platforms. Together, these measures help ICCE and our ICCE members to safeguard fair competition and to protect consumers from illegal trade.
Brother and Amazon Achieve Remarkable IP Win
In a recent landmark legal victory for Brother and Amazon, the two companies joined forces to combat the trade in counterfeit toner cartridges in Germany. The Berlin Regional Court recently ruled in favour of Brother and Amazon, deciding that all 18 defendants in this case were part of a network to sell counterfeit toner cartridges. Brother was awarded €500,000 in damages, and the court also confirmed the company’s entitlement to additional damages and ordered the illicit products to be destroyed. The defendants were also required to disclose the sources of the illicit goods. Information about the case, in which Brother has worked closely with Amazon’s Counterfeit Crime Unit (CCU), was recently released in a statement in December 2025.
ICCE welcomed the joint action taken by Amazon and Brother in an article highlighting the start of the case in May 2023. According to the lawsuit, the defendants attempted to deceive customers, refilling empty Brother cartridges with inauthentic toner powder and marketing the counterfeit cartridges as ostensibly genuine Brother imaging consumables. To do so, they allegedly used counterfeit versions of Brother’s holographic security labels, which Brother applies to its cartridge packaging to help customers verify the authenticity of their products.
This legal victory marked the first time that Amazon had filed a civil lawsuit jointly with a brand owner against counterfeiting in Europe. It is seen as a significant milestone in protecting unsuspecting consumers from unknowingly purchasing counterfeit goods.
Ongoing Commitment to Jointly Protect Markets and Consumers
These recent highlights demonstrate the commitment of ICCE members to defending their IP, as part of their efforts to protect fair competition, to foster innovation, and to help commercial customers and consumers get the quality they expect when buying genuine printing supplies.
Especially when it comes to counterfeiting, ICCE aims to further combat illegal products by providing stakeholders with tailor-made information and support. Counterfeit printing supplies, such as toner cartridges and ink cartridges, can pose a real threat to consumers, potentially causing poor-quality printouts and even damaging printing devices.
To steer clear of counterfeit imaging consumables, ICCE recommends buying only from trusted vendors and avoiding offers that seem too good to be true. More guidance on how to purchase safely and a dedicated checklist for corporate customers is available on the ICCE website. When shopping online, customers should also be aware of additional tips and important red flags for suspicious online offers.
Looking ahead, ICCE and its members are committed to combatting illegal counterfeit imaging supplies, by working together. ICCE members collaborate with other stakeholders such as law enforcement officials and online retailers, and will pursue legal steps where appropriate. These coordinated efforts reinforce the protection of intellectual property rights, safeguarding consumers and protecting fair competition and legitimate businesses. The ICCE Coalition and its members look forward to more successful initiatives in the future.