ALEXANDRIA –– Kwik Stop convenience store chain faces a federal trademark lawsuit for allegedly selling counterfeit glass water pipes.
Roor International filed the complaint on Aug. 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, alleging violations of the Latham Act.
Roor is known for its branded glass water pipes used for smoking. According to court documents, the company has sold more than $5 million worth of pipes in the last three years.
According to the complaint, Kwik Stop sold the water pipes bearing the Roor name without consent.
"Kwik Stop used images and names identical to or confusingly similar to the Roor marks, to confuse customers and aid in the promotion and sales of counterfeit goods under the infringing mark," the complaint states.
Roor says these counterfeit producdts are low grade and damages the Roor brand.
RooR says the sale of the "low grade products", "contributes to the complete flooding of the marketplace with counterfeit products, which results in lost sales and damages" to the RooR brand, "and irreparable harm to the RooR brand’s image."
RooR is seeking damages of $15,000 for each count . The company also wants any affiliate sales of counterfeit products bearing its name to end.
Roor says only one company in the U.S. is authorized to sell and advertise the Roor product––Sream.