Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Justice Fines Company for Selling Counterfeit Household Appliances under a Brand Similar to Hofmann

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Intellectual Property Center under Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Justice has intervened to stop the infringement of the Hofmann trademark, the ministry’s press service reported.

The incident came to light following a complaint from a household appliance supplier, who reported the activities of the company M.T.

According to the complaint, M.T. was selling counterfeit products under the brand HOFFMANS, phonetically similar to the registered Hofmann trademark to the point of likely confusion.

An investigation by the Intellectual Property Center confirmed the violation. As a result, M.T. was fined 100 sizes of basic estimated values (BEV), equivalent to 41.2 million soums.

The ministry reminded that since August 2025, Uzbekistan has criminal liability for the unauthorized use of someone else’s trademark resulting in significant damage.

Under Article 149−2 of the Criminal Code, penalties include fines ranging from 50 to 100 BEVs (20.6–41.2 million soums), corrective labor up to two years, or restriction or imprisonment for up to two years.

In cases of repeated violation, prior collusion, or particularly large damage, fines may range from 100 to 150 BEVs (41.2–61.8 million soums), and corrective labor, restriction, or imprisonment may last from two to three years.

However, imprisonment is not applied if the offender fully compensates for the material damage.