DuPont Defends Teflon Brand Against Russian Infringers

American chemical company DuPont has recently won a trademark infringement suit against two Russian companies that sold cookware under the brand name Teflon.

In April 2010, the Moscow State Arbitration Court ruled against the Russian company Domtek and its retail outlet ZAO Pilot Ltd, which imported and sold cookware bearing the mark Teflon.

The court ordered the two companies to pay approximately EUR 18,000 (USD 23,000) in damages to DuPont and to immediately cease using the brand name on their products.

The Russian companies filed an appeal in June 2010, but Moscow’s Ninth Arbitration Appeal Court upheld the lower court’s decision, maintaining that Teflon is a well-known brand in Russia and that the unlawful use of the brand misleads consumers about the quality of the products and also causes financial losses to DuPont.

Pleased with the court’s decision, Phil Bardsley, DuPont’s sales manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “Our message to brand infringers and product counterfeiters continues to be that DuPont will not tolerate any abuse of the Teflon brand. We will continue to aggressively pursue claims against those who misuse it.”

For more information, please contact Jelena Jankovic at our Balkan Regional Office.

Source: DuPont Press Club – DuPont’s online press service in the UK