Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
It’s been quite some time since we’ve had an update on the lawsuits Canon USA brought against Get It Digital, LLC and F&E Trading, LLC over their gray market sales of Canon DSLRs. Finally, we’re starting to get somewhere with one case dismissed (likely due to a settlement) and one case in the depths of discovery, grinding toward trial. [Read more…]
We are continuing to dig into Canon USA’s case against gray market retailers here in the US. Specifically, Canon is targeting popular gray market retailers Get It Digital, LLC, All New Shop, LLC and F & E Trading, LLC (aka Big Value, Inc., Electronics Valley and others) as they cut into Canon USA’s profit margin by importing Canon cameras direct from Japan and selling them in the US.
However, this isn’t the first time a camera manufacturer has gone after a retailer selling gray market cameras on ebay. In fact, I recently discovered that F & E Trading has been sued under very similar circumstances before. The outcome of that lawsuit could foreshadow what is the beginning of the end for gray market cameras in the US. [Read more…]
In the ongoing saga of Canon versus gray market retailers, we now have an Answer from one of the defendants.
As a quick recap, Canon USA filed suit in federal court against popular gray market retailers like Get It Digital, All New Shop, Big Value, Inc. and others. Canon USA used its trademark rights to assert that the actions of Get It Digital and others are essentially tarnishing Canon’s brand in the US. Specific examples include allegations of using counterfeit serial numbers, incorrect boxes and packaging, printed manuals and non-UL rated cables.
In the lawsuit, Canon is asking the court to award damages that may include profits from these gray market retailers as well as seeking an injunction against these retailers to prevent their sale of gray market Canon products. You can read the initial story and also get the latest update.
Get It Digital has responded with its Answer (that’s the official name of a defendant’s first response to a lawsuit). In the Answer, which I’ve embedded below, Get It Digital and All New Shop (I’ll collectively reference them as just “Get It Digital”) essentially deny all of the alleged wrongdoings that Canon asserts in the Complaint.
In the set up to Get It Digital’s defenses, however, they admit a few facts that are indisputable – such as the fact that Get It Digital is not an authorized Canon dealer and that the company sells Canon products online.
In addition to denying essentially all of the material facts, Get It Digital lays out three affirmative defenses that would kill Canon’s claims. [Read more…]
Canon USA filed a pair of lawsuits in October against Get It Digital, LLC and several other widely-known gray market retailers in a effort to force them to stop selling gray market Canon cameras and other products in the United States.
I obtained copies of the complaints and exhibits late last week and have reviewed the allegations made and evidence cited within. [Read more…]