Counterfeit problems for F1

It has been reported that Formula One (F1) filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida on May 5 2023, 2 days prior to the second running of the Miami Grand Prix, against 200 individuals and 100 companies involved in counterfeiting. 

It is alleged that the defendants were in Miami before and during the 2023 race selling counterfeit F1 merchandise and the lawsuit contains photographs from private investigators of stands selling the goods. F1 requested an ex parte seizure order on the grounds that the sellers are likely to ignore other injunctions and they alleged that "when the merchandise prematurely breaks, tears, shrinks, or fades, consumers lose the value of their hard-earned money and question the goodwill of [F1]". 

The renewed worldwide interest in F1 as a result of the Netflix documentary, Drive to Survive, and the new events being held in the US reaching significant audiences means that F1 is now a prime target for counterfeiting given that merchandising is a huge part of their business. It will be interesting to see whether they encounter the same problems at the Las Vegas and United States Grands Prix later in the season.