Amery Wins First Battle to Protect BASF Trade Mark [Archives:1999/20/Business & Economy]

Abdo Sallam Al-Amery has been waging a battle against the imports of imitation goods into Yemen. “Many importers are driven by the incentive to make quick profits by forging world-famous trade names of BASF products, especially in pesticides and fertilizers,” he said. That is why he has started a long fight to stop this practice.
“For the last two and a half years, we have been fighting legal battles in courts, and we have blocked entry of large consignments in various entry ports. I am happy that we now a legal order from the court to block the entry of any imitation product,” he said. He is talking about Legal order 71 of 1999 dated 24/03/1999.
The Sanaa and Aden Commercial Courts have been the site of legal battles between Al-Amery and many of the imitation importers. The Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Mathias Kiesler, and the Commercial Attache at the German Embassy were involved in the matter. “They have helped us by lodging a complaint with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Agriculture, which licenses the imports of the imitation goods,” he said.
But getting a court order is one thing, and actually succeeding in protecting the patent rights of the German company whose goods Al-Amery distributes is another thing, as this businessman found. “I am now compelled to assign a representative to all import ports to block the entry of forged goods,” he added. He also indicated that most of the forgeries take place in cheap outfits in South Asia, and then they are brought into the country. “These goods are then sold at a third of our prices,” he indicated.

By: Anwar Al-Sayyadi,
Yemen Times.


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