EGL USA announced on Friday that it has requested the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and local authorities to assist it in preventing the importation and distribution of gemstones accompanied by illegal EGL gem grading certificates, which violate its trademarks in the United States.

EGL USA is the exclusive owner of the EGL trademarks in the United States and Canada and does not authorize the use of these marks by any laboratories other than the four official North American EGL labs—in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Vancouver—that make up The EGL USA Group, according to the lab’s attorney, Robert Hanlon, of Coudert Brothers LLP.

“U.S. trademark law, the Lanham Act, is designed to protect consumers by making sure the products they buy are genuine. This statute forbids anyone from using a company’s trademarks unless that use is specifically authorized by the company. The Customs laws of the U.S. also permit a company to record its trademarks with Customs and to bar the import of goods that bear infringing trademarks,” said Hanlon.

EGL USA will also alert trade magazine publishers about accepting advertising from a lab or other industry entity that is infringing on the company’s trademark.

JCK