Vibram announced that it is taking aggressive steps to prevent the counterfeiting of its products, specifically Vibram FiveFingers. There was no mention of any specific incident, but company officials posted an alert on its web site putting counterfeiters on notice in regard to its intellectual property.
“We will not tolerate counterfeiting of the Vibram brand,” states Mike Gionfriddo, CEO of Vibram USA. “The effects of poor quality and performance related to these products can be very dangerous to the unsuspecting customer. We are taking aggressive steps to increase the risk and penalties against these counterfeiters as well as protect our customers and authorized Vibram FiveFinger dealers.”
Vibram says it plans to seek out defrauders and prosecute those who continue to sell inferior products under the guise of the Vibram name.
“Vibram is taking an active stand against counterfeiters globally,” comments Paolo Manuzzi, Vibram’s global general manager. “The success of our brand is built on the trust of our retail customers and consumers. We will continue to work with lawmakers, in addition to enforcing our own initiatives, to ensure that counterfeit product is destroyed and counterfeiters are punished.”
