The Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC), bottlers of global brand, Coca-cola, has been dragged to court for alleged trademark infringement on its energy drink, Predator, with a mark similar to the well-liked market leader, Fearless, a product of Rite Foods Limited, makers of Bigi cola.
As contained in the ThisDay and Guardian newspapers editions of Friday, 19th of March, 2021,contempt proceedings have been commenced against the managing director of NBC by Rite Foods Limited at Federal High Court, in lkoyi, Lagos.
In the suit No: FHC/L/CS/92/2021, the plaintiff, Rite Food Limited, filed a motion ex parte of an interim injunction against the defendant, NBC, restraining it from further promoting or using any sales promotion material for its Predator energy drink in a manner that infringes or passes off or that is capable of infringing or passing off the plaintiff’s Fearless energy drink, until the interlocutory application for injunction is determined.
The infringement is against the holder’s right of Rite Foods Limited, as the exclusive owner of the mark for identification of its products within the country.
Investigation reveals that the Rite Foods’ Fearless energy drinks, which consist of the Red Berry and Classic brands, were launched into the Nigerian market on June 15 and 16, 2017, respectively, and has gained a wider market share before the NBC’s Predator, which made entrant in June 2020.
Rite Foods pointed out that with the infringement by NBC, consumers are likely to assume (mistakenly) that the aforementioned energy drinks in the case are from one source.
According to it, the degree of similarity between the lion symbol on its Fearless brands and the NBC’s Predator energy drink is high, and that since both compete in the same market spectrum, the mark is likely to cause confusion in the minds of consumers, about the source or sponsorship of the brands offered under the defendant’s mark.
Further proceedings for the case at the Federal High Court are slated for March 24, 2021.
Among similar cases of trademark infringements in the country, in the past, were those of Nabisco Inc., v Allied Biscuits Company Limited in 1998, where the trademark RITZ was the issue before the court.
Allied Biscuits first registered the mark eight months before Nabisco, and the court held against the appellant, Nabisco, on the premise that it has not used the mark sufficiently to acquire a reputation for the mark in Nigeria, that its intention is to destabilise the Nigerian market and her economy.
Also on October, 18, 1993, Pfizer dragged Iyke Merchandise to Court for infringing on its trademark, Combantrin Plus, with the mark Combatinrein, which was likely to confuse consumers.
The plaintiff’s (Pfizer) action for injunction, order of delivery up for the destruction of the infringing product (Combatinrein) and general damages succeeded.
