A judge presiding over a civil suit instituted by world-renowned watch manufacturer Rolex SA against a Libyan-based consignee company, has ordered the destruction of some 4,570 wrist watches after these turned out to be counterfeit.

The Swiss-based company filed proceedings against Al Khebra Shipping Company, with offices based in Misurata, following the discovery of the fake merchandise which had entered the Malta Freeport on board HS Paris on February 20.

Inspections by customs officials confirmed their suspicions that the watches, stored in the container which was meant for transshipment, were counterfeit. The local agent of the watch-making company certified the merchandise as such.

On the basis of evidence produced, the court presided over by Mr Justice Mark Chetcuti, declared that the counterfeit watches violated the intellectual property rights of the applicant.

For this reason, the court ordered the destruction of the merchandise within 90 days and ordered the Libyan consignee to foot all expenses relative to the carriage, storage, destruction, tally and customs fees relative to the cargo.

Lawyer Peter Fenech represented Rolex SA as special mandatary in the court proceedings.

In a similar case, presided over by the same judge, the court ordered the destruction of some 1,620 pairs of shoes bearing the Adidas ‘trefoil or three stripes device’ after these were likewise certified as counterfeit.

 

The shoes had been shipped to Malta by a Chinese company called ‘Yong Hua Int’l Trade Co. Ltd’, reaching Malta in June before their planned transshipment to Tripoli-based company ‘Alwad Asadk’.

 

Lawyer Antoine Camilleri appeared as special mandatary for the shoe-manufacturing companies International Marketing BV Amsterdam and Adidas AG, Germany.

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