Serbia and Montenegro Court Orders Destruction of Over 12,000 Pairs of Counterfeit NIKE Sneakers

On April 7, 2005, the Commercial Court in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ruled in the first anti-counterfeiting matter since the Intellectual Property Rights division of the Serbian Customs was formed last year.

The court ordered destruction of 12,780 pairs of counterfeit NIKE sneakers imported from China by a Serbian company that is being linked with and/or may have its origins in China. In addition, the same judgment explicitly bars the defendant from any further violation of intellectual property rights of the famous manufacturer.

SD PETOSEVIC Belgrade office lawyers, acting on behalf of the plaintiff in this case, believe this is only the first in a long series of decisions that will follow in an effort to minimize the quantity of counterfeit goods on the market of Serbia and Montenegro.

Among other factors, the preparation for candidature of Serbia and Montenegro for entry into the European Union played an important role in a significant increase of efficiency demonstrated by the Serbian Customs and courts.

For further information about the decision, please contact our Serbia & Montenegro representative.