Vibram's Stand on the "Stop Online Piracy Act"

 

Counterfeits are fakes and cheap imitations. Even worse, they're illegal.

A "counterfeit" is defined as an imitation intended to be passed off as genuine. In the case of Vibram FiveFingers®, "counterfeiters" refers to the numerous companies that are deceptively using our name to sell fraudulent and inferior products to unsuspecting consumers.

While we continue to aggressively prosecute counterfeiters, we think it's important for you to know how counterfeiting impacts you directly, and how it undermines our dedication to quality products and fair business practices.

Counterfeiting is a crime

• Counterfeiting is an illegal violation of intellectual property, trademarks, and patents.
• International trade in counterfeit products is a serious issue estimated to exceed 6% of global trade.
• Worldwide counterfeiting wreaks economic havoc on legitimate markets, causing loses of more than $600 billion in revenue and nearly one million jobs each year.

Why it matters to you

Genuine Vibram FiveFingers® name deliver superior performance — something you won't get from a counterfeit. Counterfeiters do not uphold the standards of legitimate businesses. They:

• Deceive consumers by delivering products of inferior quality, if they deliver at all.
• Compromise the personal and financial information of consumers.
• Flagrantly ignore fair labor and employment practices. They often provide substandard working conditions and wages that violate basic human rights, and they have been known to employ child laborers.