A federal judge has awarded OtterBox a $10 million judgment in the sale of counterfeit cases by an eBay seller, the Fort Collins company said Thursday.

Judge Dean D. Pregerson for the Central District of California also awarded the mobile case manufacturer "substantial" attorney's fees in the sales of 20,000 counterfeit Defender Series cases during the past 10 months, OtterBox said.

The judgment orders the eBay seller to avoid pursuing similar conduct in the future, the company said.

"As the OtterBox brand continues to strengthen, we will see infringement become a prolific, constant battle," OtterBox Founder and Chairman Curt Richardson said. "For us, protecting intellectual property has become another cost of doing business, right alongside materials, labor and shipping."

"We are prepared and vigilant for an ongoing, but very vital battle," Richardson added.

OtterBox is working with state and federal authorities in the United States as well as authorities in Europe, China and Australia to stop the manufacture and trade of counterfeit cases.

"We are one of the most popular counterfeited brands worldwide," OtterBox Brand Protection Manager John McKinney said. "We take aggressive action to protect our brand and ensure customers are purchasing authentic, quality OtterBox product."