Estee Lauder Sues Over Walmart Site Copycat Cosmetics Sales (1)

Walmart Inc. should face counterfeiting liability for hosting knockoff Estee Lauder cosmetics products sales by third parties on its website, a lawsuit in California federal court said.

Estee Lauder Inc. said Walmart claims it “selects” and “partners” with sellers, making the retailer responsible for sales of products infringing a number of its brands, according to the the complaint filed Monday in the US District Court for the Central District of California.

Walmart profits from the sales and manages various aspects of the third-party sales, making it more than a passive platform, the suit argued.

The lawsuit noted an adverse finding ...