Euro Pool System, Europe’s largest pool organisation in the field of returnable packaging for fresh products, has taken legal action against two Polish companies that had copied its rigid container model M. Before judgment was passed in the case, the two companies admitted to being responsible for the counterfeit containers, whereupon the matter was settled. The mould was modified, to preclude further imitations.
In the spring of 2002, Euro Pool System discovered the counterfeit containers in the Netherlands. Immediately, the pool organisation took legal action. Quite soon it became clear that two corporations in Poland were responsible for marketing the imitation containers. These containers bore a strong resemblance to those of Euro Pool System, but were made of a different material.
Forgery admitted
The companies admitted to having produced and sold the counterfeits, and opted for settling the matter. Meanwhile, the mould they used in the production process has been fully reconstructed. In addition, the Polish companies offered their apologies to Euro Pool System both in a Polish newspaper and in a Dutch newspaper.
More legal proceedings upon further infringement
A Euro Pool System statement read: “Euro Pool System is happy with the acknowledgement that the containers were illegal copies of the original containers. The pool organisation will not hesitate to take further legal action in case of any other violation of its rights, whatever its nature. The organisation is very serious about the intellectual property rights it has vested to various aspects of the containers. Users of the Euro Pool System containers should be alert as well. For more than thirty years now, the containers have only been available via a rental system. Containers that are offered in any other way may be counterfeit specimens. The pool organisation points out that batches of counterfeit containers will not be accepted at the depots.”
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