Dapro ‘not subject’ to DuPont counterfeit order
A company that reportedly infringed trademarks belonging to chemicals company DuPont says it was wrongly identified as a culprit.
Earlier this month, WIPR reported a statement by DuPont that Dapro Safety, a Dutch company that makes protective garments, and some of its trading partners had sold fake ‘DuPont’ and ‘Nomex’ goods in several jurisdictions.
DuPont sells fire-resistant materials under its Nomex brand, mainly to workers in the chemical and oil and gas industries, as well as those working for the emergency services.
The statement said a court in The Hague had told Dapro to destroy any remaining infringing goods and awarded DuPont legal fees and damages.
DuPont said the company subject to the order was RJN Dalmeijer Beheermaatschappij BV, which also “does business” under the name Dapro Safety.
But in an email to WIPR, Dapro spokesman Dennis Dalmeijer saidRJN Dalmeijer Beheermaatschappij BV is a former Dapro distributor and that the ruling does not affect his company.
“The case regarded possible trademark infringements in 2008 to 2010 by this former distributor. Soon after this case started Dapro discontinued its distributor relationship with this company and appointed a new distributor. We are therefore unable to give you more details about this case.
“What we can tell you is that all Dapro products meet international safety standards; no Dapro products have been classified as unsafe.
“DuPont creates an impression of ‘potential risk’ regarding Dapro products, and this is untrue,” he said.
Confusingly, however, although RJN Dalmeijer Beheermaatschappij BV is named as a defendant in the court’s ruling, it says the company also trades under the name Dapro Safety.
