₦100 Billion Patent Clash: Jigsimur Plus Takes Cleansimur Int’l to Court

Jigsimur Plus Nigeria Limited has instituted action against Cleansimur International Limited before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, seeking ₦100 billion in general, exemplary, and aggravated damages for alleged injury to its goodwill, reputation, and market position.

In a landmark suit, designated as Suit No: FHC/CS/19525, Jigsimur Plus Nigeria Limited accuses Cleansimur International Limited of willfully counterfeiting and unlawfully imitating its registered patent, product label, and proprietary bottle design.

The suit alleges that these acts were calculated to mislead unsuspecting consumers and unlawfully appropriate Jigsimur’s market share and goodwill.

The suit, filed through its legal counsel, Chief Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq., of I. C. Ejiofor & Co., seeks to challenge what the plaintiff describes as a “brazen act of commercial piracy” and a deliberate facilitation of unfair competition within Nigeria’s herbal supplement market.

Jigsimur Plus Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the globally recognized JIGSIMUR SA ORIGINAL (PTY) LTD—a duly registered South African entity and the sole legitimate manufacturer of JIGSIMUR SA ORIGINAL-Y61977 herbal health products—has taken this decisive legal action to safeguard its intellectual and industrial property rights.

The plaintiff contends that the promoters of Cleansimur International Limited intentionally adopted a name strikingly similar to “Jigsimur” and replicated its registered bottle design, product label, and brand inscription. It is further alleged that Cleansimur’s imitation products, virtually indistinguishable from the original Jigsimur Plus health drink, have been distributed widely across Nigerian markets, thereby deceiving the public and eroding the plaintiff’s market position.

This purported act of “passing off” has allegedly caused significant consumer confusion, substantial reputational harm, and enormous financial losses to Jigsimur Plus Nigeria Limited.

Accordingly, Jigsimur Plus seeks comprehensive judicial redress, including:A declaration that Cleansimur’s use of the infringing label, brand name, and bottle design constitutes a flagrant violation of Jigsimur’s registered patents and industrial designs, amounting to unfair competition, unlawful misrepresentation, and injurious falsehood;A perpetual injunction restraining Cleansimur International Limited, its agents, distributors, and affiliates from further infringing on Jigsimur’s intellectual property rights or passing off counterfeit products in the Nigerian market;An order directing regulatory agencies, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, to seize, impound, and destroy all infringing Cleansimur products found in warehouses, retail outlets, and online platforms across Nigeria;An award of ₦200 million in special damages for the costs incurred in litigation, investigation, and enforcement of the plaintiff’s intellectual property rights and Post-judgment interest on all monetary awards until final satisfaction of judgment.

This legal action underscores Jigsimur Plus Nigeria Limited’s unwavering resolve to protect its brand integrity and enforce its intellectual and industrial property rights. It also serves as a strong deterrent to counterfeiters and dishonest operators seeking to exploit consumer trust in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding herbal health sector.

The suit has been filed and is currently awaiting formal assignment to a trial judge.

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