Bahraini trader acquitted of selling counterfeit goods

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Lower Criminal Court acquitted a Bahraini trader of charges related to the sale of counterfeit goods bearing a registered trademark.

The Public Prosecution had accused the defendant of possessing, with the intent to sell, goods that bore a registered trademark, in violation of Law No. (6) of 2014 regarding the Trademark System of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

The trader’s lawyer presented a defense arguing for his client’s innocence and the lack of elements constituting a crime.

He stated that the company owning the renowned Asian trademark has been engaged in the tea business since 1948 in various countries around the world, having obtained legal protection for its trademark under international laws and treaties regarding industrial property and trademarks.

The lawyer further explained that the trademark-owning company had concluded a licensing agreement with the defendant’s company in Bahrain, granting it an exclusive agency to use the renowned Asian tea trademark within the geographical boundaries of the country.

This agreement was in place despite another company having registered a similar trademark in Bahrain, allegedly with the intent to mislead consumers, and without the knowledge or consent of the true trademark owner.

The court, after reviewing the case details and the legal and factual arguments presented, ruled to acquit the defendant.

The judgment emphasised that the trademark in question has been owned by the Asian company since 1948 and is widely used by them, as evidenced by a letter from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Asian country supporting the defendant’s defense.