Pat Swindall's name back in court for selling counterfeit sunglasses
Pat Swindall is no stranger to the court system.
Swindall, along with his wife Kim Swindall, is named in a case brought by Luxottica Group, the Italian corporation which manufactures luxury eyewear brands such as Coach, Chanel, Oakley, Ray Ban and more. Luxottica also operates over 7,000 retail stores, including LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, and Sunglass Hut.
The Swindalls are owners of Greenbriar Discount Mall, an indoor flea market in a lonely East Point strip mall called Greenbriar Marketplace.
While Kimberly Swindall is listed as sole owner of the flea market, her husband is the "manager" of the property. Kimberly Swindall also holds 50 percent ownership in the actual strip mall.
A haven for knock-off designer goods, the mall has been the site of numerous investigations and police raids including a 2013 bust by the Atlanta Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security which yielded at least $400,000 in counterfeit goods and two arrests.
Copyright infringement cases are nothing new, but in this case, not only is the court recognizing the potential liability of the store owner selling fake goods, but also the owners of the mall property on which the fakes are being sold.
The case is expected to go to trial later this year.
About the Author
Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.
