AMTD Group Inc. and The Generation Essentials Group (TGE) just added two more legal wins to their scoreboard. First, they shut down domain squatters who were using the “L’Officiel” brand in bad faith. Then they blocked a trade mark application in Australia that tried to hijack their identity. I’ve followed this case closely, and here’s why every serious brand should take note—and act.
The timeline that matters
July 29, 2024 — Hong Kong court order
Luxury Village LLC had been using domains that incorporated the “lofficiel” brand—without any rights or permission. A Hong Kong court (case HKIP 73 / 2023) ordered them to stop and to give up the domains. That should have been the end of it.
What happened next
They ignored the order. They kept operating lofficiel.au and lofficielfashionbook.hk. Worse, they continued publishing digital copies of “L’Officiel Fashion Book,” pretending it was legit. That defiance led to the next wave of enforcement.
2025 — Domains transferred back
AMTD used domain dispute procedures to win back both domains: lofficiel.au (WIPO case DAU 2025-008) and lofficielfashionbook.hk (HKIAC case DHK-2400211). That’s how the system should work—swift and effective when you have the evidence.
July 25, 2025 — The trade mark takedown
Then came the Australian angle. Luxury Village LLC filed for the trade mark “L’OFFICIEL FASHION BOOK” in Australia. The Registrar saw through it. They ruled the application was made in bad faith. That means the filer knew they had no legitimate claim and did it anyway. Decision number: 2025 ATMO 145. The mark was blocked from registration.
More domains that got taken down
AMTD didn’t stop at the obvious targets. They also took down a long list of domains that had no business using the brand:
- lofficiel.co
- lofficiel.co.com
- lofficiel.cn
- lofficiel.net.cn
- lofficielengland.com
- lofficielitaly.com
And here’s the public warning
AMTD is urging the public and its partners to avoid doing business with these domains. These are not authorized by them and may mislead customers or partners into thinking they’re part of the real “L’Officiel” brand:
- https://lofficiel.in/
- https://lofficielshop.com/
- https://lofficielarabia.com/
- https://lofficieluk.com/
- https://lofficiel-england.com/
- https://lofficielunitedkingdom.com/
- https://lofficiel.at/
- https://www.lofficiel.cy/
- https://www.lofficiel.li/
What I think brands should be doing right now
If you’re a brand owner, don’t wait for someone to come after your name. Be proactive. Here’s what I recommend—and what I help clients do every week:
- Lock up your core domain names, including obvious country-code versions (.uk, .de, .au, etc.)
- Set automated alerts for your brand on domain registration data, trade mark filings, and content usage
- File defensive trade marks in key jurisdictions where you advertise, sell, or publish
- Publish an official “trusted domains” list to guide partners, licensees, and advertisers
- Have a pre-approved legal plan for UDRP or URS filings so you can act without delays
Add GlobalBlock and NameBlock—don’t skip these
I also strongly suggest you consider enabling GlobalBlock and NameBlock protections. These are third-party services that help you keep control of your brand across dozens or hundreds of domain extensions.
GlobalBlock is a domain blocking service offered by Identity Digital. It lets you block your trademarked names across hundreds of TLDs (top-level domains) in a single action. For example, if you block “yourbrand” using GlobalBlock, you prevent anyone else from registering “yourbrand.app”, “yourbrand.chat”, “yourbrand.guru”, and so on. It’s one move that stops a long list of headaches.
NameBlock is similar but includes a layer of threat monitoring. It prevents lookalike names, confusing variations, and typo-squatted versions of your domain from being registered on participating registries. It’s a smart way to catch abuse before it becomes a takedown problem.
These services don’t replace trade marks or domain registrations, but they fill the gaps you didn’t know you had. They’re particularly useful for brands that are scaling, licensing globally, or dealing with copycats. They’re also faster and cheaper than recovering domains after the fact.
This isn’t just a story about AMTD winning another round. It’s a reminder that enforcement only works if you’re watching, documenting, and ready to act. AMTD had the receipts. They had the rights. And they moved quickly.
If you’re serious about protecting your brand, you can’t afford to play catch-up. Use the tools available. Secure the names you depend on. Block the ones you don’t want others to touch. And keep a watchful eye—because the copycats certainly are.