Red Bull wins trademark infringement case in the UAE

The importer was fined AED 15,000.

Red Bull is a registered trademark in the UAE. The Red Bull registered trademark reserves exclusive rights to the product's distinctive logo, name, symbol and design, which identify and distinguish it from other products. In this case, Red Bull argued that the competitor was misleading customers into believing that its product was a Red Bull product or was endorsed by Red Bull due to its similar name and packaging, and hence carried the benefits and qualities that Red Bull offers.

Ultimately, the court took the view that the competitor had intentionally adopted a product which appropriated part of the trade or reputation of Red Bull and had attempted to capitalise on Red Bull's reputation, effective marketing and significant market share.

This decision serves as a warning to any business tempted to take advantage of the reputation of a competitor's product by copying distinctive aspects of the brand.

Selim Chidiac, Red Bull's Regional Director, commented: "Red Bull strives to protect our loyal consumers from being misled into purchasing products that do not conform to our impeccable standards and high-quality stringent scientific testing.

"We would also like to congratulate the local UAE judicial system for how seriously they treat trademark infringement cases. This is good news, both for the manufacturers, who stand to lose revenue, and for consumers who are misled into purchasing products they believe to be the genuine article, but which are in fact poor imitations." Chidiac added.