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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Justice has filed suit on behalf of the United States Mint against a Minnesota corporation that manufactures and sells replicas of U.S. currency and coinage, alleging that the defendants have been marketing and selling replicas in a fashion confusing to consumers about the source of the products and that the defendants have infringed a copyright owned by the U.S. Mint.

Acting Assistant Attorney General David W. Ogden of the Civil Division and United States Attorney B. Todd Jones said the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, names as defendants The Washington Mint, LLC.; as well as Suvon Limited Partnership, a Minnesota partnership that owns or controls the majority of the stock of The Washington Mint; Novus Marketing, Inc., a corporation that acts as the marketing and advertising agency for the Washington Mint; and several individuals who are officers, directors, or partners of these entities.

According to the complaint, the defendants' advertising and sales of a replica of the new United States dollar coin infringe the U.S. Mint's copyright in the design, and The Washington Mint uses trade names and a domain name illegally similar to the U.S. Mint's trademarks, which the U.S. alleges are confusing to purchasers.

"The suit that we have filed today is needed to protect American consumers from deceptive practices and to safeguard the integrity of United States coins," said Ogden.

The complaint seeks both injunctive relief and monetary damages.

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