BIKER NEWS: Hells Angels sue hipster retailers for using bikie logo

BN- THE Hells Angels claim their feelings have been hurt, and they are “distressed” by their fearsome bikie logo appearing on hipster T-shirts and have called in the lawyers.

It is the seventh time the Browns Plains-based Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation (Australia) — declared a criminal organisation by the Queensland Government in 2013 — has sued a retailer or manufacturer since 2008.

Six cases were launched in the past year by the club’s corporate entity, which is wholly owned by Brisbane president Mark Nelms.

On September 29 the gang sued a Melbourne company that sells T-shirts online emblazoned with their trademarked “death head” logo, or the phrase “Hells Angels”.

In its statement of claim lodged in the Federal Court in Brisbane, the Hells Angels claim three T-shirts and one poster they purchased from Redbubble last year are in breach of their intellectual property.

The Hells Angel Math Club T-shirt. Picture: Supplied

They point to a $31 T-shirt with the Hells Angels crest on it, a “Hells Angels Maths Club” T-shirt and a “Hells Angels Movie” T-shirt, and a poster of a bikie wearing his colours sitting with a young girl.

The club says that their “skull” logo is “highly valued by Club members”.

“Redbubble’s conduct has allowed non-members of the Club to wear indicia reserved for the members, thereby causing anger, hurt feelings and personal distress,” the club claims.

The last time the club was in court was in February when it settled a claim against a Gold Coast seller of motorbike helmets, Team Moto.

The club claimed T-shirts, helmets and sunglasses, emblazoned with their trademarked “death head” were in breach of their IP.

Victorian clothing dis­tributor Eyegasm Brands was sued after they sold “about 48” T-shirts bearing the phrase “My Boyfriend’s a Hells Angel” to Broadbeach store Igedo. The back of the shirt depicted a pair of wings and were designed by US clothing brand Wildfox, which was sued by the Hells Angels US arm in 2011.

The Hells Angels also settled cases against sunglasses company Liive Vision, run by Allan Surman, over claims it sold up to 1,676 pairs of three styles of sunglasses with “winged skull” logos which were sold at RipCurl in Darwin.

Hells Angels tattooist Stefan Kuczborski was the face of the failed High Court challenge to the Newman Government’s criminal gang laws.

Company records show the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation (Australia) is registered to a run-down mechanics warehouse in Browns Plains.

Redbubble has not filed a defence to the claims.

The case returns to court on Tuesday.

Source: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/hells-angels-sue-hipster-retailers-for-using-bikie-logo/story-fnn8dlfs-1227565854358