ELFBAR and LOST MARY Achieve Major Milestones in Fight Against Counterfeit Vapes
In a bold move to combat the rising tide of counterfeit vaping products, prominent brands ELFBAR and LOST MARY have announced significant milestones in their ongoing campaign against imitation vapes. With an increasing global focus on product integrity and consumer safety, the two brands highlight the serious threats posed by these substandard goods to users and the industry as a whole.
Victor Xiao, the Global Vice President of ELFBAR and LOST MARY, emphasized that protecting intellectual property (IP) rights is essential not only for brand reputation but also for safeguarding adult users from unsafe vaping products. In a statement released ahead of World Intellectual Property Day, Xiao noted that counterfeit vapes often include untested ingredients and are produced under inferior manufacturing conditions, raising serious safety concerns.
According to the latest reports, the collaborative efforts of ELFBAR and LOST MARY have led to the seizure of over 50,000 counterfeit products during various enforcement operations worldwide since September 2022. Countries such as the Czech Republic, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, and the UAE have all seen substantial action against retailers distributing infringing products. A notable case involved the dismantling of a counterfeit product distribution ring along the border of Germany and the Czech Republic, showcasing the brands' effective partnership with local police forces and customs authorities.
Legal actions also form a significant part of the campaign's strategy. Since the start of 2024, both brands have initiated over 30 civil lawsuits targeting IP infringements in several countries, including mainland China and Germany. A recent legal victory in Germany reaffirmed the brands' commitment to protecting their trademarks, as the court ruled against a local business using a name too similar to ELFBAR’s.
Furthermore, the brands have been actively removing counterfeit products online, having taken down nearly 300 infringing webpage links globally, including two fraudulent websites and multiple listings in the US. This decisive action follows the cessation of supplies of ELFBAR products to the US market in February 2023, which has led to a surge in counterfeit versions taking their place.
Alongside these measures, ELFBAR and LOST MARY are focused on severing the global supply chains that facilitate counterfeit products. Since June 2021, when their anti-counterfeiting initiative began, the brands have supported global enforcement efforts that resulted in the shutdown of 15 clone factories in 2024 alone, seizing more than 90,000 counterfeit devices in the process. A large-scale raid in Vietnam last year also showcased the success of these efforts, resulting in the confiscation of over 160,000 vapes, including significant quantities of counterfeit LOST MARY products.
As part of their ongoing outreach, ELFBAR and LOST MARY encourage adult users to authenticate products before purchasing and to report any suspicious business practices. The brands have vowed to continue their collaboration with authorities worldwide to eliminate the production, distribution, and sale of counterfeit goods in the vaping industry.
At its core, the campaign extends beyond mere brand preservation; it focuses on the well-being of adult users who rely on these harm reduction products. "IP rights matter, but not as much as our adult users' well-being when they select harm reduction products," emphasizes Xiao.
Both brands remain dedicated to fostering a safer vaping environment and upholding their commitment to innovation and consumer safety. For those wishing to learn more about their ongoing efforts, additional details can be found on their respective websites, elfbar.com and lostmary.com.
In conclusion, as the vaping industry grapples with rising counterfeit challenges, initiatives by ELFBAR and LOST MARY serve as a proactive model. Their comprehensive strategies involving legal action, collaboration with enforcement entities, and consumer education illustrate a robust commitment to quality and user safety in the vaping space.