Why is this important
The case demonstrates the strengthening of control over the protection of intellectual property rights in Uzbekistan. For foreign investors, this is a signal of the state’s readiness to protect brands from unfair use.
What happened
- The Competition Committee received a complaint from Kimberly-Clark, the owner of the Huggies brand.
- The investigation revealed that Ahangaron Hygienic Pro had been producing Huggies-branded diapers without the rights holder’s permission.
- The company’s actions were deemed to violate the laws “On Competition” and “On Consumer Protection”.
- The commission’s decision imposed a financial fine on the manufacturer and also ordered to stop using the brand.
What they say
The Committee noted that the illegal use of trademarks “damages the reputation of original brands and misleads consumers”.
Context
In August, the Committee had already considered a similar case: the Mexmet Sweets family company received a warrant for using the Sladok brand, owned by Chococream (N’Medov Group). Strengthening control over the protection of intellectual property corresponds to the new WTO norms and reforms in the field of fair competition.
