ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has fined seven veterinary medicine manufacturers a combined Rs5.5 million for deceptively using brand names and packaging similar to the registered “COLCOREX” trademark, ruling that the conduct violated Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010.
The order stems from a complaint by M/s Shahujee Herbal Pharma, which has been marketing the veterinary herbal medicine under the COLCOREX brand since 1999.
The trademark was registered with the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO) in 2017.
The Commission found that several companies marketed products under several different names, reproducing the registered trademark through minor spelling changes, prefixes or suffixes. In several cases, respondents also adopted similar colour schemes, typography, taglines and packaging.
The CCP imposed penalties of Rs1 million each on M/s Atzan Natural Products, M/s Muslim Herbal and Nutraceuticals, M/s S-Asia Oriental Pharma and M/s Izfaar Nutraceuticals Industries, while Rs500,000 each was imposed on M/s HerBBeck Nutraceuticals, M/s Vital Mark Laboratories (Pvt.) Ltd and M/s Hi-Vet Nutraceuticals Pharma.
Proceedings against M/s Blessco International were dropped after the Commission found insufficient evidence linking the company to the impugned product.
The Commission also ruled that DRAP enlistment did not authorize the use of another undertaking’s registered trademark or prevent CCP from taking action under the Competition Act, holding that DRAP, IPO and CCP exercised separate statutory mandates.
Citing Supreme Court jurisprudence, the Commission held that changing a single letter, adding prefixes or suffixes, or making minor packaging changes did not create a distinct trademark where the overall commercial impression remained“deceptively similar”.
The Commission directed the respondents to stop using the impugned trademarks, modify related promotional material across all media platforms and submit compliance reports within 30 days.
Failure to comply would result in an additional penalty of Rs100,000 for each day of non-compliance.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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