Theft of trademarks in the importation of goods
One of the main reasons for seizing imported goods to delay their release from customs is the suspicion that the goods are fake and infringe on an existing trademark. After it was decided to detain the goods, and whether the delay was initiated by the customs officials or at the request of the trademark owner, the trademark owner is required to examine whether it is indeed a violation.
There are two types of procedures for dealing with goods detained on suspicion of trademark theft
A short procedure – in which the goods are detained at customs for 3-6 working days, during which the owner of the mark is asked to check whether there has been a violation of his trademark, based on photographs or samples of the goods. If, in the opinion of the owner of the trademark, there has indeed been a violation of the trademark, he must submit a reasoned opinion to customs, and the importer of the goods is authorized to review it.
In addition, the owner of the mark must also commit that if the importer of the goods sues the customs, he will join the customs department, as an additional defendant, and he must also commit that if it turns out that the delay of the goods was not justified, he will compensate the customs department and/or the importer for the damage caused by the delay.
We note that it is very important to formulate the opinion convincingly on the one hand, and on the other hand – not to give the counterfeiters excess information that will help them with further forgeries later on. Therefore, it is highly recommended to consult on this matter with an intellectual property lawyer with expertise and knowledge in trademark protection.
A long procedure – also within which the goods are delayed for 3-6 days, but during the delay period the owner of the mark must notify customs that he intends to sue the importer, within 10 days, and attach to his notification a bank guarantee in order to cover expenses and damages that will be caused to customs and/or the importer due to the delay. After depositing the bond, customs informs the importer of the identity of the importer, and usually at this stage a negotiation will be conducted between the owner of the mark and the importer, with the aim of reaching a compromise that will prevent a lawsuit from being filed. The trademark and more, and must be approved by the customs authorities. If the parties do not reach a compromise, the owner of the mark must file a lawsuit in court, within a specified time, and if he does not do so, the goods will be released from customs to the importer.
*The aforementioned in this article and on the website in general should not be considered as legal advice and the things written in it should not be considered as a substitute for individual legal advice, but a personal opinion and/or a general explanation only. Of course, you should not rely on and/or act in accordance with the above without individual legal advice from an attorney
We will be happy to be at your disposal for advice and assistance regarding representation regarding customs delays.
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