PHOENIX – BBK Tobacco & Foods, dba HBI Innovations, a leading global provider of high-quality rolling papers, cones, and smoking innovations, secured a legal victory with an award exceeding $8.7 million against entities responsible for manufacturing, importing, and distributing counterfeit products that imitated BBK’s iconic RAW® rolling paper packaging.
The ruling was handed down by the United States District Court for the District of Nevada on December 17. The court awarded BBK more than $3 million in disgorged profits from the defendants and more than $5.6 million in statutory damages for copyright violations concerning BBK’s packaging designs.
“We have dedicated our lives to making the best rolling products on the planet. Our customers are our family. We can’t let anyone willfully trick our family into buying something that isn’t genuine RAW,” said RAW creator Josh Kesselman. “Whether it’s a counterfeit or a look-alike, we must protect our family from that sort of awful deception. We all deserve better, and we all get higher together.”
The lawsuit centered on products sold under the “Brocone” brand, which were manufactured in India by Brocone Organic Private Limited. The products not only copied BBK’s RAW packaging designs, but also replicated the exact language from BBK’s packaging. In September 2023, BBK reached a stipulated injunction and judgment in a confidential settlement with NEPA Wholesale Inc., the primary U.S. distributor of the Brocone products. Litigation continued against Brocone Organic Private Limited, its U.S. importer, AIMS Group USA Corporation, and another distributor, Florida One Wholesale Inc., culminating in the December 2024 judgement.
The legal victory marks the conclusion of a two-year effort by BBK to safeguard its trademarks and copyrights against blatant counterfeiting. BBK remains committed to defending its intellectual property and ensuring the authenticity of its products for its loyal customers worldwide.
About HBI Innovations
Headquartered in Phoenix and launched in 2005 by Josh Kesselman, HBI Innovations, the company behind RAW Rolling Papers, is an independent, global brand producing plant-based rolling papers and other smoking accessories. The company’s unbleached, slow-burning papers are the preferred product for millions of smokers. The company is committed to sustainability and social good and, through its RAW Giving initiative, has provided millions of dollars in direct cash contributions for many charities, including those that work to provide access to clean water and rescue homeless pets.
