Slayer’s Merch Company Files Lawsuit to Stop Counterfeits

If you’re Slayer’s merch company, the time is now: while I have no doubt that metal fans will continue to buy Slayer garb for years (maybe even decades), the band’s farewell tour represents the last truly great opportunity to make a killing on it.

So it’s no surprise that Global Merchandising Services, the company that holds the exclusive rights to Slayer merchandise, has chosen this moment to attempt to put a stop to counterfeit merchandise.

The Northern California Record reports that Global Merchandising Services has filed a federal lawsuit aiming to stop bootleggers from selling counterfeit merch at or near Slayer’s farewell shows, both before and after the event, by compelling local law enforcement to clamp down on the practice. The complaint alleges that more than $25 million worth of unlicensed Slayer merchandise has been sold by bootleggers to date.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California ahead of the tour’s kickoff show in San Diego on May 10th. We’re not clear on how or if a suit filed in that particular court might also apply to other districts in the U.S., or how long a case like this typically takes to work its way through court before any decision can be enforced. We also do not know whether the authorities cooperated by seizing counterfeit goods at the San Diego date or any other tour dates since.

Global Merchandising Services is no stranger to high-profile merch clients — their roster includes Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, A Perfect Circle, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Rob Zombie and the entire WWE, among many more — so this likely isn’t their first rodeo in the never-ending quest to stomp out homeless men with dozens of shirts stuffed tightly inside their jackets from selling you poorly-printed merch in the parking lot.

We have reached out to Slayer’s management for clarification on the questions raised above and will update this story as soon as we hear back.

[via Lambgoat]