Islamabad: Options International has deposited PKR 6 million into the national treasury as a penalty for misusing the Starbucks brand name, following a Supreme Court dismissal of its final appeal.
According to Competition Commission of Pakistan, the case against Options International initiated with a complaint by Starbucks, leading to an investigation and subsequent legal proceedings. The Competition Appellate Tribunal had earlier increased the initial fine from PKR 5 million to PKR 6 million and imposed a ban on the unauthorized use of the Starbucks brand and logo by Options International.
The Supreme Court’s decision reaffirms the lower tribunal’s ruling, emphasizing that Options International engaged in deceptive marketing practices by falsely associating its products with the globally recognized Starbucks brand.
This case is part of the CCP’s broader efforts under new management to clamp down on anti-competitive practices, with fines totaling PKR 38 million recovered in recent actions.