Louis Vuitton unit says it won a lawsuit against web hosting sites for copyright infringement

Unit of Louis Vuitton wins lawsuit

NEW YORK — Louis Vuitton Malletier SA, a unit of French luxury goods maker LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, said Monday that a federal jury in California awarded it $32.4 million in damages in a copyright infringement lawsuit against businesses that hosted Web sites selling counterfeit consumer products.

Louis Vuitton Malletier filed the lawsuit in 2007, after finding a group of Web sites with the same Internet address selling what it believed was counterfeit Louis Vuitton merchandise.

The Web sites were hosted by Akanoc Solutions Inc. and Managed Solutions Group Inc., businesses in Fremont, Calif., controlled by Steven Chen.

On Friday, the jury found Akanoc Solutions, Managed Solutions Group and Steven Chen liable for contributory trademark and copyright infringement and awarded Louis Vuitton $32.4 million in damages.

Louis Vuitton said it expects the court where the lawsuit was filed, the San Jose branch of the U.S. District Court for Northern California, to issue a permanent injunction banning the defendants from hosting Web sites that sell counterfeit goods.

Steven Chen could not immediately be reached.