Saudi warns of up to SAR1m fine, one year jail term for trademark infringement

Saudi’s Ministry of Commerce and Investment has warned companies in the kingdom of strict punishment for trademark system infringements.

Violators face a penalty of up to one year in jail and/or a fine of up to SAR1m (around $266,666) for falsifying or imitating a trademark in a “manner that would mislead the public”, for using a false or counterfeit trademark, and for “misrepresenting” the products or services with a trademark owned by others.

Anyone who has offered, put up for sale, sold or acquired for the purpose of sale – products that are forged, imitated, unlawfully placed or used without the knowledge of the trademark owner will also legal action, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the ministry as saying.

The warning came after the owner of a shop selling perfumes, accessories and cosmetics in Riyadh was found guilty of trademark infringement by a court in the Saudi capital.

The owner possessed and displayed “imitation perfumes” violating the trademark owner’s intellectual property rights and misleading consumers of the quality of products offered, the ministry said.

The judgment issued by the Riyadh Criminal Court included the imposition of a fine, the confiscation of the counterfeit goods, and the “penalty of defamation” by publishing the sentence in a local newspaper at the expense of the violator.

The details of the case were exposed after ministry officials seized 53 fake perfume containers at the headquarters of the facility in Riyadh.

Officials reiterated that legal proceedings would be undertaken against anyone found to be involved in the storage, distribution, display and sale of any counterfeit products.