FAYETTEVILLE -- Early collections so far have not approached the $8.6 million owed by counterfeiters to the University of Arkansas System according to a civil judgment, UA System President Donald Bobbitt told trustees Friday.
"The trick is collecting $8.6 million. But the good news is we have collected so far $12,235," Bobbitt said, to some laughter, at the trustees' meeting.
A U.S. District Court judge in August awarded $200,000 in damages each from 43 online merchants identified in a lawsuit as selling counterfeit Razorback merchandise.
The suit identified the merchants -- described as residing in China or "other foreign countries" -- not by personal names but by their online presence. To try to collect, the judge ordered the release of money from vendors' accounts with commerce companies including Amazon and PayPal.
Bobbitt said asset research continues as a means to try to collect the damages, but the case also "sends a message" that the UA System "will go after these sort of piracy sites whenever we find them." He said additional lawsuits are anticipated.
Metro on 09/17/2018