Client: Jewellery manufacturer

Matter: Protection of the client’s trademark rights in connection with attempts to import counterfeit goods into Ukraine and legal representation in customs offence proceedings.

Team: Oleksandra Soroka

Outcome: The counterfeit nature of the goods was confirmed, the infringer was held liable for customs offences, and all counterfeit products were confiscated.

Project Overview

The client’s trademark is recorded in the Ukrainian Customs Register of Intellectual Property Rights, enabling customs authorities to suspend the clearance of goods suspected of infringing the client’s IP rights.

In August 2025, the Kyiv Customs Office notified the trademark owner that customs clearance had been suspended for two international postal shipments arriving from China. The shipments contained metal chains marked with the client’s trademark. In total, customs identified 102 items suspected of being counterfeit.

Following receipt of the customs notifications, the trademark owner confirmed the suspected infringement and initiated sampling and expert examination of the goods. During the investigation, it was established that the recipients indicated in the shipping documents could not be located at the stated addresses. As a result, customs offence reports were issued against the sender of the goods.

Synergy’s team provided comprehensive legal support throughout the matter, including:

  • liaising with the customs authorities within the framework of border enforcement measures for intellectual property rights;
  • confirming indications of trademark infringement;
  • coordinating the sampling of goods and expert examinations;
  • representing the client in two customs offence proceedings;
  • protecting the trademark owner’s interests before the court.
Result

Following consideration of both cases, the Solomianskyi District Court of Kyiv found the consignor guilty of violating Article 476 of the Customs Code of Ukraine.

The court:

  • imposed administrative fines; and
  • ordered the confiscation of all 102 counterfeit products.

This case demonstrates the practical value of recording trademarks with the Ukrainian Customs Register of Intellectual Property Rights. Combined with the prompt response of the trademark owner, customs recordation enables counterfeit goods to be detected and stopped at the border before they enter the Ukrainian market.