Chinese firm fined N100m for unlawful importation

A Kano High court sitting at Audu Bako Secretariat has ordered a Chinese firm, Changyi Yuanxiang, to pay N100 million as compensation for indulging in illegal importation of 19 containers with impersonated trade mark.

The court presided over by Justice Ibrahim Musa Muhammad Karaye in a judgment delivered on 31th July, 2019 held that the Chinese firm indulged in unlawful use of the name of Rab textiles limited for the importation of the containers exposing Rab textile limited to tax liability.

The plaintiff, Rab textiles limited represented by Rabiu Abdullahi Ibrahim, told the court that the Chinese firm had abusively use the name for the importation of the goods without the written consent of the plaintiff.

He urged the court to restrain the defendant from further importation of goods using the company’s name without consent.

In his judgment, Justice Ibrahim Musa Muhammad Karaye ordered Changyi Yuanxiang to pay N100m as compensation to the plaintiff, for the unlawful and unauthorised use of the name Rab textiles limited.

The court also ordered the sum of N10 million should be paid to the plaintiff for the physiological trauma suffered by the plaintiff.

Justice Karaye asked the defendant to forfeit the sum of N10million for the upset of solicitors fees, it further ordered the compensatory payment of 10 percent interest rate from the date of the delivery of judgment.

Further, the court instructed Changyi Yuanxiang to refrain from engaging in any business transactions using the name Rab textiles limited.