Jewellery retailer Malabar Gold & Diamonds on Friday said a duplicate showroom in its name in Islamabad has been shut down following a legal battle. Malabar Gold & Diamonds also clarified that it does not operate any showroom in Pakistan.
The company, in a statement, said it filed a legal case against Muhammad Faizan, a Pakistani national who illegally used the Malabar Gold & Diamonds brand name to operate a jewellery store in Islamabad. In addition to using the brand name and other trademarks to operate his jewellery store, Mr Faizan also managed social media pages in Pakistan using the brand name, brand ambassadors, and product images, it said. "A civil case was filed by the brand in Pakistan, which resulted in a court order that immediately halted the illegal usage," Malabar Gold & Diamonds said in a statement.
The Pakistani court immediately ordered the takedown of all "Malabar Gold & Diamonds" sign boards and to stop all usage of the brand name and trademarks.
As the accused refused to abide by the court orders, the company filed a contempt petition in court, resulting in the accused being arrested, imprisoned and presented in court.
"Since jail imprisonment was an assured outcome of the civil case, Mr Faizan approached Malabar Gold & Diamonds for a settlement and subsequent agreement to the conditions put forth by the brand," the company said.
All signboards carrying the Malabar Gold & Diamonds brand name and other trademark assets have since been removed, it added. "Ours is a business that has been established on the foundation of trust. I sincerely assure our loyal customers that as is evident from this case, Malabar Gold & Diamonds will do all that is possible to prevent and discourage any such activities to protect the trust placed in us by our customers," Malabar Group Chairman, M P Ahammed said.
Malabar Gold & Diamonds has 317 retail outlets across the Middle East, the Far East, the USA and India.
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