Trademark

Article 113

Without prejudice to any more severe punishment under any other law, shall be punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than two months and by a fine of not less than 5,000 pounds and not more than 20,000 pounds, or by either punishment, any person who:

(1) counterfeits a trademark registered in accordance with the law or imitates it in a manner which is likely to mislead the public;

(2) fraudulently uses counterfeit or imitated trademarks;

(3) fraudulently affixes to his products a trademark belonging to a third party;

(4) knowingly sells, offers for sale or distributes, or acquires for the purpose of sale, products bearing a counterfeit or imitated mark, or on which the mark was unlawfully affixed.

In case of repetition, the offense shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of not less than two months and by a fine of not less than 10,000 pounds and not more than 50,000 pounds.

In all cases, the court shall order the confiscation of the infringing products, the revenue and the returns of such products as well as the implements used in the infringement.

The court may, when issuing a condemnation, order the closure of the enterprise used to commit his infringement, for a period not exceeding six months. In the event of repetition the enterprise shall imperatively be closed down.

Article 114

Without prejudice to any more severe punishment under any other law, shall be punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than one month and by a fine of not less than 2,0000 pounds and not more than 10,000 pounds or by either punishment, any person who:

(1) affixes a false trade indication to his products, on or inside his shops or warehouses, on signboards, packaging, invoices, correspondence, advertisements or any other means used for offering the products to the public;

(2) fraudulently places on his marks or commercial documents an indication that leads to believe that such mark has been registered;

(3) uses a mark that has not been registered, in the cases provided for in paragraphs 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8 of Article 67;

(4) mentions medals, diplomas, awards or other honorary distinctions of any kind whatsoever, in relation to the products in respect of which such distinctions do not apply, or in relation to the persons or commercial names who did not acquire them;

(5) participates with others in exhibiting products and uses for his own private products the distinctions granted to the jointly exhibited products, unless he indicates in a clear manner the source and nature of such distinctions;

(6) affixes on the products of his own trade, in a place especially reputed for the production of a certain product, geographical indications in such a manner as to mislead the public to believe that those products were produced in that place;

(7) uses any means for the designation or exhibition of products in a manner that may mislead the public as to the production of those goods in a geographical place especially reputed rather than the real place of origin of such products;

(8) manufactures a product in a place especially reputed for its production and who affixes a geographical indication on similar products he produces in other places in such a way as to suggest that such goods were produced in the said place.

In case of repetition, such an offense shall be punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than one month and by a fine of not less than 4,000 pounds and not more than 20,000 pounds.

Article 115

The president of the competent court considering the merits of the case may, upon a request by an interested party, and on petition, order one or more appropriate conservatory measures, and in particular:

(1) Establish the infringement of a protected right.

(2) Draw up an exhaustive inventory and detailed description of all the machines and implements used or may have been used in the infringement, as well as the products, goods, signboards of shops, packaging, invoices, correspondence, advertisements or the like, on which the mark or the geographical indication, subject of the offense, might have been affixed, as well as the products imported, on their arrival.

(3) Order the seizure of the articles stated in item (2).

In all cases, the President of the court may order the assignment of one or more experts to assist the bailiff in charge of the execution. He may order the requesting party to provide an appropriate security.

The requesting party shall submit the merits of the case to the competent court, within 15 days of issuing the order, failing which such order shall cease to have effect.

Article 116

The convicted person may, within 30 days from the date of the issue or notification, appeal such an order to the president of the court. The president may confirm or revoke the order, totally or partly.

Article 117

The court may, in any civil or penal action, order the sale of the articles distrained, or to be distrained, and deduct their value from the amounts of the compensation or fines, or dispose of them by any other means the court may deem appropriate.

The court may also order the destruction of the illegal marks and, where necessary, the destruction of the products, goods, signboards, packaging, invoices, correspondence, advertisements or other items bearing these marks or bearing illegal description or geographical indications, infringing the provisions of this Book. It may also order the destruction of the machines and implements used specifically in the act of infringement.

The court may further order that its judgment be published in one or more newspapers at the expense of the convicted party.

The court may order some or all of the above measures, even in the event of acquittal.

Article 118

The Minister of Justice shall, in agreement with the competent minister, appoint persons with judiciary powers for the implementation of the provisions of this Part.