In a legal precedent that rippled through the cyberspace ether, the authorities concerned in Egypt issued a Court decision to shut down online pages selling counterfeits and products bearing infringing trademarks. In addition to having their illicit online stores deactivated, the perpetrators were sentenced to two years in prison and fined 100,000 Egyptian pounds (around US $6,374).
By way of background, a complaint was filed by the rights owner before the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), which investigated the incident and referred the matter to the Public Prosecutor. After confirming the infringement, the case was subsequently referred to the Economic Court and the defendants were found guilty.
It is worth noting that in recent years the authorities concerned in Egypt have been increasingly more involved in the enforcement of intellectual property rights through the issuing of new statutes for combating counterfeit products and through the establishment of the Economic Court, a specialized court that primarily handles all IP matters.
Needless to say, counterfeiters will think twice before trying to hide behind their screens under the watchful eye of the law in Egypt.
To learn more on how our experts can assist you in enforcing your IP rights in Egypt, or the Middle East and Africa region, contact us at info@sabaip.com