Beauty Code sues BCI over brand falsification

JAKARTA: Beauty Code cosmetics producer PT Kangsen Kenko Indonesia (KKI) has filed a lawsuit to the Central Jakarta District Court against multilevel company PT Berjaya Cosway Indonesia (BCI) for marketing its products with the former brand illegally.

KKI also reported BCI general manager Hana Subiantoro to the Jakarta Police for the latter's violation of a 2001 law on branding.

Ganda Hendrawan, an economic court clerk, said the court sent a warrant to BCI management to attend a maiden court session Thursday with the presence of several BCI marketing staff to give their testimony to the court. KKI demanded BCI pay Rp 7 billion (US$740,000) in compensation for the brand infringement. Lawyer Iman Saputra accompanying BCI in the case stressed his client was the valid owner of Beauty Code, which has been registered with the director general on intellectual and property rights at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry. "BCI has no reason to use the same brand because my client's brand of Beauty Code is well known," he said Wednesday.

The 2001 branding law carries a maximum one-year jail sentence and/or a maximum fine of Rp 1 billion. - JP