Indian Company Obtains Landmark Interim Injunction

1 Oct 2017

The Commercial High Court of the Western Province has granted a landmark interim injunction, which was sought by an Indian company over mass counterfeiting in Sri Lanka.
The matter, which was held before High Court Judge, Mahinda Samayawardhena, was declared to be a ‘textbook case of violation of intellectual property rights”
Jyothy Laboratories Ltd, an Indian multi-product company and leader in local household care industry, has been a victim of mass counterfeiting in Sri Lanka. Its flagship brand Ujala, introduced a dye-based fabric whitener under the names Ujala and Ujala Supreme. Its product has been exported to a number of countries including Sri Lanka, where it has been in the market for well over 20 years.
Earlier this year, it was discovered that local companies, Jyothy Laboratories Lanka together with Buhary Segu Naina and Buhary Ali Sabuni who were shareholders and directors of Fa Impex Private Limited which imported UJALA brand liquid blue from the plaintiff in India and sold in Sri Lanka, were illegally importing and manufacturing counterfeit UJALA products and selling them to the local market.