Agile CCP Called-Out Four Companies For Illusive Marketing
Show-cause notices were sent to Unilever Pakistan Limited, Kennol Petroleum, Dewan Stores, and Japan Lube for misleading consumers about their products
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has been diligently taking actions against companies for deceptive marketing for the past few months and it has issued show-cause notices to four companies for prima facie violating Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010.
The show-cause notices by CCP were sent to Unilever Pakistan Limited, Kennol Petroleum, Dewan Stores, and Japan Lube for misleading consumers about their products.
The notice was served to Unilever over a complaint by Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan for distributing spurious information by making claims regarding its products Lifebuoy Soap and Lifebuoy Hand Wash.
As per inquiry report issued by the commission, Unilever Pakistan was harming other undertakings’ business interests and misleading consumers by making absolute claims regarding the abovementioned products.
The claims made by Unilever were “100% guaranteed protection from germs”, “World’s No. 1 germs protection soap”, and “99.9% germ protection in 10 seconds.”
However, the disclaimers about these claims were printed in tiny fonts and were hardly noticeable.
On the other hand, a complaint was lodged by a French company KENNOL Performance Oil against three Pakistan-based firms Kennol Petroleum (Pvt) Limited, Dewan Oil Store, and Japan Lube Petroleum.
Read Also
Roshan Digital Burgeoning With Accounts From 100 Countries
The complaint was made by the French firm for copying the packaging of its product, KENNOL ULTIMA 20W60.
As per KENNOL, the product is registered in France and with the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) in Pakistan, and it has not authorized any other firm to use it.
The CCP’s inquiry concluded that the trademark belongs to KENNOL Performance Oil, and no one in Pakistan has the right to use it.
Additionally, the three firms have been found engaged in copycat packaging of the French product.
All three were sent notices for deceiving their consumers and harming business interests as per Section 10.
CCP is mandated under the Competition Act to ensure free competition in all spheres of commercial and economic activity, to enhance economic efficiency, and to protect consumers from anti-competitive practices including deceptive marketing practices.
