Republic Brands’ Relentless Pursuit of Counterfeiters Results In Recent Victory

By
HeadQuest

pastedGraphic.png

Republic Brands’ Relentless Pursuit of Counterfeiters Results In Recent Victory

Glenview, IL. — March 21, 2022 – Republic Brands, the global leader in rolling papers and premium smoking accessories, won a significant legal victory in its ongoing fight to protect consumers from the sale of counterfeit goods when a federal jury awarded Republic Brands $11M in the company’s most recent victory against counterfeiters.

On March 16, 2022, a federal jury awarded Republic Brands and their affiliates $11 million in damages against Georgia-based wholesaler Gabsons Novelties and its owner, Raj Solomon, who was found personally liable.  Following a three-day trial in Atlanta, the jury reached the unanimous verdict that Solomon and his company had willfully sold and distributed counterfeit rolling paper products under Republic Brands’ famous TOP® and JOB® trademarks (Case No. 1:19-cv-2148 (N.D. Ga)). 

The case against Gabsons and Solomon is the first of three cases going to trial in U.S. Federal Court in Georgia resulting from the criminal and civil raids and seizures of Republic Brands counterfeit product that took place in May 2019 with the assistance of law enforcement. The two other cases, against Star Importers & Wholesalers and ZCell Novelties and their respective owners, are also expected to go to trial in 2022. Republic Brands has also been successful in the last several years in achieving criminal and civil judgments against counterfeiters in Texas, Tennessee, Illinois, Virginia, and elsewhere. 

“Counterfeiters know that Republic Brands will use all means available under the law to protect our consumers’ trust and our company’s reputation,” Republic Brands CEO Don Levin said.  “This verdict validates those efforts and sends a strong message that the public will hold counterfeiters accountable for their actions.” 

Republic Brands’ anti-counterfeiting efforts are led by Sachin Lele, Republic Brands’ General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Legal, and Jessica Roberts, Republic Brands’ Senior Counsel. Republic Brands’ trial team is led by Maia Woodhouse of Adams and Reese LLP and Sheldon Zenner of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.  Republic Brands asks for the public to join in reporting counterfeit products by emailing counterfeit@republicbrands.com or calling 1- 800-288-8888.

 

About Republic Brands

The world’s leading rolling company, Republic Brands holds the most extensive portfolio in the category including OCB®, JOB®, e-z wider®, DRUM®, Premier®, Gambler®, and TOP® brands. With a 200-year-old cultural legacy, the family-owned company is known for innovations such as sustainable bamboo, hemp and flax fiber papers and cones, its natural acacia gum, and internationally-recognized ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 and GMP standards. Republic brings consumers the best experience from plant to puff by combining old-world artisan quality with modern sensibilities. With its wide-reaching distribution network across 120 countries, Republic Brands operates seven manufacturing facilities across North America and Europe. For more information, please visit www.republicbrands.com.

Media Contact: 

Paul Marobella

Republic Brands

Pmarobella@republicbrands.com

 

[pdfjs-viewer url=”http://d1h.7b5.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/USA-National_SourceList.pdf” attachment_id=”16084″ viewer_width=50px viewer_height=800px fullscreen=true download=true print=true] 

Recent Stories

Recent Articles

2026-06-01_20-59-01
By
Emily Long
Women in Cannabis – Dr. Chanda Macias
Dr. Macias first fell in love with science while studying at Howard University, where she completed her undergraduate studies and later earned her PhD in cellular and molecular biology. While at Howard, she became especially interested in cancer research due to personal ties. Growing up in a Creole family and predominantly Black community in Louisiana, Dr. Macias watched many women around her battle breast cancer, so at Howard, she decided to focus her research on the BRCA1 gene.
2026-06-01_20-45-52
By
Matt Weeks
Cards Denied: Smoke Shops, Dispensaries, and the Paradox of Modern Banking
It’s almost amazing that the same institutions that brought us the 2008 financial crisis have a problem with selling glass pipes. Almost. The truth is that an industry's past sins are only held against it when the money isn’t right. Big banks were willing to risk cratering the U.S. housing market because the profits were too good to ignore. But the cannabis industry rolls a different kind of paper, so instead of a slap on the wrist, it gets a surcharge.
2026-06-01_20-34-44
By
Karen Maina
Print Lives! Why Flyers and Posters Still Work
Smokeshop and counterculture enthusiasts enjoy discovery as part of the experience. Customers enjoy browsing. When they walk into a shop, they don't simply grab a product and leave. They look for something new. This is the main reason flyers and posters still work. Smokeshops and dispensaries are highly visual environments. You want to see bold artwork, psychedelic graphics, and street-style posters that naturally capture attention.
2026-06-01_9-58-51
By
Joe Reefer
Cannabis in Sports: Exploring Famous Athletes’ Cannabis Usage
The use of cannabis in professional sports has always been a controversial subject. While some are firm believers that all substances should be banned from professional sports altogether, most people aren’t thinking about cannabis when they’re discussing performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). In fact, there have been countless cannabis users in the world of professional sports throughout the years; some of whom are more open about their love for the plant than others.
NC Ban
By
Matt Weeks
Save Hemp, Save the World
North Carolina might save us all. A new state bill may be the industry’s best option to save itself from demise when new federal cannabinoid bans take effect in November. And it could use your support.
Tourism banner
By
Karen Maina
The Quiet Rise of Hemp Agritourism
Hemp is often considered for the things that it is not. It is not intoxicating, it is not illegal, and it is not marijuana. However, now we are seeing a focus back to what it can be. The plant is moving into the level of wine and chocolate and becoming a movement and a culture.
Schedule 3 1
By
Joe Reefer
What Does Schedule III Mean for the Industry?
It’s been several months since President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III within the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). On paper, the recent executive order, entitled “Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research,” is a huge step in the right direction for cannabis smokers across the country.
Sate of 3
By
Matt Weeks
The State of the States
For years, we’ve been told that this industry is the Wild West: a place where the only law amounts to whatever the guy with the gun says. But over the last 12 months, state governments have passed a spate of new regulations that promise to swap the relative lawlessness of poor enforcement of vague rules with real law and order.