Penalties Imposed, Including a Fine of SR 150,000, Confiscation of Fake Items and Defamation
A judicial verdict has been issued against an auto parts Est. in Riyadh, involved in offering and selling counterfeit auto spare parts, bearing forged registered trademarks. This is considered a violation to the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law and to the Intellectual Property Rights. Therefore, the said Est. has been defamed by MCI.
The Ministry explained that the said Est. found guilty for possessing and offering counterfeit auto parts, bearing forged trademarks registered with the Ministry. Therefore, the Criminal Court in Riyadh imposed a fine of SR 150,000, confiscation of all items bearing the counterfeit trademark and publishing the verdict on a local newspaper at the expense of the violators.
The details go back when MCI judicial control officers inspected the warehouse, belonging to the auto parts Est. in Al Faisaliah quarter, south of Riyadh, where 60 thousand pieces of counterfeit oil & air filters were seized, bearing famous forged brands, namely AC Delco, Honda, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Mopar, Isuzu, Mercedes and BMW. Consequently, all the counterfeit quantities were seized and the case was referred to the judicial authorities for taking the necessary legal procedures against the violators.
Notably, the Article 43 of the Trademark Law stipulates that "Without prejudice to any more severe penalty, an imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and a fine not less than SR 50,000 and not exceeding a million, or either of these two penalties shall be imposed on whoever forge or counterfeit a registered trademark in a way to mislead or deceive the consumers, as well as whoever uses in bad intention a counterfeit or forged trademark, also whoever places on his products or uses a trademark owned by others, or whoever possesses, offers and puts up for sale products bearing a counterfeit trademark with his full knowledge, or whoever offers services under such counterfeit trademark with his knowledge of that. "
MCI would like to confirm the continuation of taking all legal proceedings against anyone found guilty of storing, distributing, offering or selling any counterfeit products bearing forged trademarks. The Ministry calls on all consumers to lodge their complaints and observation through MCI Consumer Call Center (1900), or through the application of a Commercial Violation Report, Or through the Ministry's website.