Supreme Italia Founders Face Jail Time for "Brazen" and "Offensive" Scheme
Michele and Marcello Di Pierro are required to pay VF Corporation $10.4 million USD in damages.
After numerous trademark battles and lawsuits, the founders of Supreme Italia – the fake version of Supreme that has opened illegal stores across Europe and China – have finally been sentenced to jail. Michele Di Pierro and his son Marcello are additionally required to pay the streetwear brand’s parent company VF Corporation $10.4 million USD in damages.
Over the past few years, the Di Perros have been amassing trademark registrations in regions such as Italy, Spain, Singapore and Indonesia. As reported by The Fashion Law, the two have been found guilty of two counts of fraud. In addition to payment in damages, Michele Di Pierro is required to serve eight years in jail, while Marcello will serve three. Circuit Judge Martin Beddoe explained that Di Pierros “hijacked every facet of [Supreme’s] identity and plagiarized it,” further adding that the business is “brazen” and “offensive.”
According to TFL, neither of the Supreme Italia founders were present in court. Michele Di Pierro said that the lawsuit is “a very grave and unjustified assault” based on “absurd, unfounded, and slanderous allegations of counterfeiting registered trademarks.”
In a 2019 interview with The Wall Street Journal, the Supreme Italia mastermind said that although he was always interested in streetwear, he was never aware of the brand Supreme.
