Article (24)
Customs Clearance
1. The right owner or his representative, in the event he has justified reasons for his belief
that it may be possible to import counterfeit or forged commodities bearing a trademark
similar to his registered trademark – which may lead to confusion among the public –
may submit a written application to the Customs Authority to suspend the customs
clearance of such commodities and prohibit its trade, provided that the request shall be
supported by the necessary evidence and information for the existence of an infringement
of the applicant's trademark right.
2. The Customs Authority concerned with the customs clearance shall decide on the
application and notify the applicant, in writing, of her decision concerning his application
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within (7) seven working days from the date of submitting the application. The decision,
in the event the application was accepted, shall be valid for one year beginning from the
date of its submission or for the remaining period of the trademark's protection –
whichever is less – unless the applicant requested a shorter period.
3. The Customs Authority may request the applicant to provide an appropriate guarantee or
a security of equivalent value that is sufficient to protect the defendant from the abuse of
the right to request a suspension of the customs clearance.
4. Without prejudice to the preceding provisions of this article, the Customs Authority may,
upon its own discretion, issue a decision to suspend the customs clearance for
commodities imported, in transit or prepared for export when it arrives to customs region
under its jurisdiction, in the event sufficient evidence exist that the commodities are
forged or bear – illegally – a trademark similar to a registered trademark which may lead
to confusion among the public.
5. The competent authority, whenever it decides to suspend the customs clearance for
commodities arriving to the customs region under its jurisdiction, shall:
a. Notify the commodities' importer and the right owner of the decision suspending the
customs clearance as soon as it is issued.
b. Notify the right owner, upon his written request, of the names and addresses of the
commodities' sender, importer, recipient and quantities.
c. Allow parties of interest to examine the commodities in accordance with the
applicable customs procedures in this regard.
6. The right owner may file a lawsuit on the disputed subject matter before the competent
court and shall notify the competent authority within a period not exceeding (10) ten
working days starting from the day he was notified of the decision suspending the
customs clearance of the commodities; otherwise, the decision is deemed as null and void
unless the authority or competent court decided to extend, in circumstances it evaluates,
the timeframe for a period not exceeding an additional (10) ten working days.
7. With the exception to the circumstances evaluated by the court, if the court verifies that
the commodities – for which the customs clearance was suspended – are counterfeit,
forged or illegally bearing a trademark similar to a registered trademark in a manner that
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causes confusion among the public, a judgment must be awarded to destroy such
commodities at the importer's expense, or to dispose it apart from commercial channels
in the event the destruction causes unreasonable harm to public health or the
environment.
8. The customs clearance of commodities to commercial channels shall be prohibited, or the
permission to export it again, in the event the trademark, which was illegally placed, was
merely removed.
9. The conditions, controls and procedures followed by the Customs Authorities shall be
applicable to the customs clearance and examination.