Les Mills and Feds Close Down Piracy Ring
AUSTRALIA – In cooperation with U.S. federal authorities, Les Mills International has broken up a North Carolina-based group that traded in counterfeit versions of Les Mills group fitness trademarks and resources.
“We took this action to protect the interests of all of our partners around the world – our agents, club licensees, licensed instructors and consumers,” says Les Mills CEO Jill Tattersall.
Erick Heck (a former employee of a U.S. fitness club chain, where he was a Les Mills instructor), his wife Margie Heck and an associate, David Grant, admitted to illegally copying, selling and distributing counterfeit Les Mills instructor resources, including music CDs, DVDs and other items, since at least 2007.
They also admitted that they engaged in this illegal activity both in the U.S. and internationally. The group has provided the names of individuals in the United States, United Kingdom and the Netherlands who assisted them.
When two cease-and-desist letters did not stop the group’s activities, Les Mills started legal action winning orders to seize counterfeit goods and records and immediately stop the counterfeiting. The counterfeiters were also ordered to pay monetary damages.
Further actions are under way in the U.S. and Europe to follow up with people who Les Mills understands to be suppliers, customers or accomplices of this group.
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January 25th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
I work for Les Mills and was told that this story is not at all validated. It sounds like a good made up story to help people not pirate LMI releases though.
January 26th, 2010 at 6:16 am
While it does sound like that is the case, this story came directly from Les Mills public relations dept.
February 12th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Uhm, who else would you expect a story like that to come from? They want to get their point across apparently. And, as long as it works, I supposed it wouldn’t matter if it were made up.
May 19th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
By the way, for the record, and to address all who have inquired, We were required by law to take down the slanderous email with the false information from our website and have agreed to let well enough alone since this case was not as first believed.