CAIRO, EGYPT - As a global breeding and licensing company in business for more than 40 years, Sun World International has more than 200 table grape patents and Plant Variety Rights (PVRs) worldwide. Recently, two Egyptian courts have ruled in favor of Sun World International in infringement litigation the company filed against unlicensed Egyptian growers for illegal production and sale of Sun World grapes.
“Sun World will enforce the full extent of its rights against these infringers, seeking to stop illegal production, remove the infringing plantings, and collect damages for past infringement,” said Michael Stimson, Vice President of IP and General Counsel, Sun World International.
The California-based company has a long-standing business developing and licensing its proprietary plant varieties to growers worldwide, including Egyptian farmers, who earn a premium for growing Sun World’s superior varieties. Sun World’s varieties are licensed to growers in 22 countries.
The two economic courts, located in Cairo and Tanta, issued injunctions on the merits against two growers:
- Prohibiting the unauthorized propagation of Sun World varieties
- Prohibiting the unauthorized sale, offer for sale, import, or export of Sun World fruit Awarding monetary damages
- Forcing the uprooting and destruction of all grapevines illegally planted on their farms at the infringers’ expense
“We continually monitor table grape growing regions and table grapes in consumer markets around the globe for potential infringement cases,” added Stimson. “As a result, through private and court-ordered investigations, we identified Sun World’s proprietary vines on farms owned by unlicensed growers and, after a thorough investigation, pursued this litigation against them.”
A press release shared how Sun World encourages growers in Egypt who are interested in planting the Sugrathirteen black seedless table grapes variety, marketed under the MIDNIGHT BEAUTY® brand, to obtain a license to plant and propagate Sugrathirteen vines and to sell fruit under its authorized MIDNIGHT BEAUTY brand. Unauthorized Egyptian producer-marketers sometimes illegally sell Sugrathirteen variety grapes under the “Black Magic” brand and are subject to criminal legal actions and civil liability.
“Sun World’s business is to deliver the best varieties possible to our licensees. These illegal infringers are reducing the market price for the fruit grown by law-abiding, licensed Egyptian farmers who grow Sun World varieties. So, we work tirelessly worldwide to enforce our intellectual property against every single infringer we find,” Stimson concluded.
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