Coca Cola sues Riham over trademark infringement

Similarities. Both brands [Riham Cola Vs Coca Cola (500ml bottle)] are said to possess similarities in relation to brand colours, packaging, content colour and names, among others.

Coca Cola has sued Riham on allegations of trademark infringement. The suit [CS 213] filed on April 24 is seeking for an injunction restricting Riham from further infringement on Coca Cola brand contents, and shelving all products on the market which are purportedly considered infringements.

The injunction also seeks to stop Riham from producing products that are confusingly similar to the plaintiff’s [Coca Cola]. The row between the two companies began at the start of this year, after Harris International launched a soda line, manufacturing two brands including Riham Cola and Riham Fun-time with a third one [Riham Wats Up] expected later this year.
The two brands [Riham Cola Vs Coca Cola (500ml bottle)] appear to have similarities in relation to brand colours, packaging, content colour and names, among others.

In an e-mail exchange, Mr Bob Okello, the Coca Cola East Africa public affairs manager, told the Daily Monitor that although they had alerted the offender, Riham had seemed undeterred.
“This is a matter of pure trademark infringement, which has left us with no any other recourse but to seek court redress,” Mr Okello said.

However, Mr Alex Rezida, the Harris International lawyer, told the Daily Monitor that his client was shocked by Coca Cola’s action since negotiations concerning a number of modifications had been on-going.

According to Mr Rezida Riham’s last exchange with Coca cola was on April 24, the date on which the case was filed. He says his clients had sent Coca Cola a modified bottle with a number of changes. However, they (Riham) do not understand the turn around.”

Origin
The row originates from the 500ml bottle, which according to Coca Cola, is confusingly similar to theirs. But in regard to the negotiations, Riham had initiated a number of modifications on its 500ml bottle introducing changes in brand colour and bottle top coulour.

The bottle, which the Daily Monitor has seen had been modified with its bottle top colour changed from red to chocolate brown coupled with introduction of a brownish allure in the brand colour.

Mr Yasser Ahamed, the Harris International chairman, earlier, said his company had registered all relevant components of its brands thus he did not expect any battles with other players arising from infringement.

osemakula@ug.nationmedia.com