I’m scrolling through Amazon late at night (as one does), trying to find something decent for a friend’s birthday. And there it was—this slick-looking Beverly Hills Polo Club sweatshirt. Logo looked fancy, the price was surprisingly decent, and I thought, “Hey, why not add a little polo to my wardrobe?”
I placed the order. It arrived. I wore it. Life was good... until it wasn’t.
Cut to two weeks later—I’m sitting in the common area with a couple of friends, casually flexing my “designer” sweatshirt, when someone who actually knows brands (unlike me) says, “Uhh... are you sure that’s real BHPC? The logo looks like it’s been drawn during a Zoom call.”
I laughed it off—until I opened the news.
Boom. “Amazon India fined ₹324 crore for selling fake Beverly Hills Polo Club merchandise.”
I spat my chai. My sweatshirt? Part of that case. Apparently, I was unknowingly repping a piece of the trademark battle royale going down in the Delhi High Court.
Turns out, Lifestyle Equities, the real owners of the BHPC brand, sued Amazon for selling products with a logo that was... let’s say “inspired” by theirs. The court didn’t just frown—they slammed the gavel down hard and awarded one of the highest-ever trademark damages in India.
And here I was thinking I scored a deal.
The verdict? Amazon had “deliberately and fraudulently” let this happen. The platform kept selling similar-looking gear even after being told globally to stop.
Lesson learned? Always check who the seller is. Because I just wanted a cool hoodie, and instead, I ended up part of a ₹324 crore courtroom story I’ll now tell at every party.
Also, memo to self: next time something seems too branded to be true at ₹699—it probably is.
At least now I can proudly say I wore evidence from one of India’s most expensive fashion faux pas. Not everyone can say that, right?