Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Authorities in Tashkent region have taken action against LLC CLASS-FOOD-SERVIS after the company was found guilty of unfair competition following a complaint by global confectionery giant Mars, Incorporated, the rightful owner of the M&M’s trademark.

The issue arose when the regional office of the Competition Committee received a formal complaint from Mars, alleging that CLASS-FOOD-SERVIS was producing and selling a candy product under the name “S&S’s”, which closely resembled the branding and design of M&M’s.

An investigation by the Intellectual Property Center under the Ministry of Justice confirmed that the S&S’s label was confusingly similar to the registered M&M’s trademarks. These findings were backed by official documentation.

Based on these conclusions, the Uzbek company’s actions were deemed to violate Article 21 of the Law on Competition. As a result, a special commission launched a formal case and imposed a financial penalty, along with an order to eliminate the infringement and prevent future violations.

According to Point 6 of the Methodology for Identifying Unfair Competition (Annex No. 2 to Cabinet Resolution No. 694), copying the external design, packaging, naming, or labeling of existing products with the intent to mislead consumers constitutes unfair competition.

This case underscores Uzbekistan’s commitment to protecting intellectual property rights and promoting fair market practices, especially when it comes to safeguarding the interests of international brands operating in the country.