STAND AND DELIVER, MY PRECIOUS FLOWER

London law firm Mischon de Reya has launched TuLIP (short for “Turning Losses into Profits”). The stated aim is “recovering money and lost profits directly from the counterfeiters using all the weapons available in the civil courts”, which the firm claims is more efficient than seizing counterfeit goods and sending out cease and desist letters. Curiously, they advertise this service as an investment opportunity claiming that “For every pound invested, TuLIP aims to produce a return of at least 2 to 3 times that investment”. Certainly there’s money to be made from IP litigation (as long as you’re successful!) but would anybody describe measures against counterfeiter as an investment? (Although it’s one way of beating low interest rates…)

A source from the firm rather charmingly describes the target defendants as “brand bandits” (quoted in the Times - free registration required) which makes a change from the usual “pirate” label.



Tulip info here.



Bandits at high noon here.



Go head to head with your favourite pirate here, here or here.