If you’re a brand owner who has discovered fake versions of your product being sold online, you’re not alone and you are not powerless.
Kirby Erdely, inventor and founder of Orange Screw, faced exactly this problem after building a successful patented product business. What started as a growing outdoor gear brand quickly turned into a fight against widespread online counterfeiting, stolen product listings, and unauthorized sellers damaging both revenue and reputation.
When Fake Products Start Showing Up Online
Orange Screw launched in 2015 with a patented ground anchor designed to secure tents, dogs, trampolines, tarps, and more. With U.S. patents and registered trademarks in place, the product quickly gained popularity across Amazon and other online marketplaces.
By 2016, sales were climbing every month.
Then in 2018, something changed.
Customers began emailing to say the product they received didn’t look like what they ordered. Some complained about poor quality. Others said the item didn’t work at all.
Kirby and his team soon realized what was happening:
Counterfeit sellers were using Orange Screw’s photos, videos, trademarks, and branding to sell fake versions of the product online.
Even worse, the counterfeiters had stolen personal family photos and placed them on fake websites and social media ads.
As the fake listings spread across Amazon, Shopify, eBay, and international websites, Orange Screw’s legitimate sales dropped almost overnight.
“We saw an immediate decline in sales,” Kirby explains. “And we knew our brand and our customers were being harmed.”
“Can You Even Stop Counterfeiters Online?”
Like many brand owners, Kirby searched for legal help and quickly ran into a common problem.
Multiple attorneys told him:
- Online counterfeiting cases cost hundreds of thousands of dollars
- Lawsuits rarely produce meaningful results
- Shutting down foreign sellers is nearly impossible
Then Kirby contacted Ference & Associates.
Instead of discouraging enforcement, Ference Law explained exactly how online counterfeiters can be identified, sued, and shut down even when they operate anonymously or overseas.
Taking Down Counterfeit Sellers and Recovering Lost Revenue
Within months, Ference Law filed Orange Screw’s first anti-counterfeiting lawsuit.
The results were immediate:
- Nearly 100 counterfeit sellers were shut down
- Funds were seized directly from seller accounts
- Major platforms like Amazon, Shopify, and eBay took action
- Legitimate sales began rising again
“After the first lawsuit, we saw an immediate increase in sales across all platforms,” Kirby says.
As new counterfeit sellers eventually appeared, a common reality for popular brands, Ference Law launched a second enforcement action, removing another 100 sellers operating around the world.
Each enforcement cycle restored lost revenue, protected customers from poor quality knockoffs, and strengthened Orange Screw’s brand.
Ongoing Brand Protection for Online Marketplaces
Online counterfeiting is rarely a one-time problem.
Successful products often attract repeated infringement from new sellers using stolen images, copied product descriptions, and fake storefronts. For Orange Screw, brand protection became an ongoing partnership.
Ference Law continues to:
- Identify unauthorized sellers
- File targeted lawsuits against counterfeit networks
- Work directly with Amazon and major marketplaces
- Recover funds and remove infringing listings
“The work is never really done,” Kirby explains. “But having Ference Law on our side has been a lifesaver. They know how these counterfeiters operate and how to stop them.”
Helping Brand Owners Stop Counterfeits, Protect Customers, and Restore Sales
If you find yourself asking:
- “Is someone selling fake versions of my product online”
- “How do I stop counterfeit sellers on Amazon?”
- “What do I do if someone steals my product photos”
- “Are unauthorized sellers hurting my brand”
- “How do I take down counterfeit listings”
Orange Screw’s experience shows that effective enforcement is possible when you work with attorneys who focus specifically on online brand protection and anti-counterfeiting.
Ference & Associates has helped brand owners:
- Shut down hundreds of counterfeit sellers
- Recover lost revenue
- Protect patents, trademarks, and copyrights
- Restore trust with customers
- Regain control of their online marketplaces