ADCO Law Achieves Landmark Trademark Ruling for Leading Korean Beauty Brand in Invalidation Claim

ADCO Law is proud to announce a successful representation for the Leading Korean Beauty Brand in a trademark invalidation action before the Commercial Court at the Central Jakarta District Court.

The ruling is significant because it integrates findings of well-known status, overall similarity, and bad‑faith registration into a single framework. Significantly, the Court affirmed that protection of well-known trademarks encompasses both the core trademark and its variations. This approach, linked directly to the bad‑faith finding, strengthens the doctrine that Indonesian law affords expansive protection to well-known marks by preventing any form of exploitation through overall or substantial similarity, even in the absence of exact reproduction of the core trademark or its variations.

From an enforcement perspective, the case provides a clear procedural roadmap for translating a well-known mark finding into effective invalidation and deletion from the trademark register before the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI). As such, the ruling provides additional legal certainty for brand owners and contributes to the development of consistent jurisprudence on well-known trademarks and bad-faith filings under Indonesian trademark law.

The team was headed by Partner Adolf M. Panggabean, with key support from Senior Associate Rian Wicaksana and Associates Andini Naulina Rahajeng and Zata Mahardika.“This case serves as another significant milestone in Indonesian trademark jurisprudence. By securing recognition of our client’s brand as a well-known trademark while simultaneously establishing bad‑faith registration and overall similarity, the Court has again reinforced the protection available to foreign brand owners in Indonesia. We are proud to have contributed to this development and to have safeguarded our client’s rights in such a decisive manner.” Said Adolf.

He further emphasized that the case underscores the critical importance of early trademark strategy. Brand owners with the commercial capacity to expand into new jurisdictions should not postpone securing trademark protection until after market entry. Proactive registration acts as a safeguard against bad-faith filings by third parties and ensures that, upon entering a new market, the brand can be used immediately and lawfully without the need for corrective litigation.

Discover how our Intellectual Property Practice Group can support your trademark strategy by following this link: https://adcolaw.com/expertise/practice/intellectual-property

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About ADCO Law:

ADCO Law is a law firm that offers clients a wide range of integrated legal services, including commercial transactions and corporate disputes in a variety of industry sectors. Over the course of more than a decade, we have grown to understand our clients’ industries and businesses as well as the regulatory aspects. In dealing with business dynamics, we provide comprehensive, solid legal advice and solutions to minimize legal and business risks.

From Upstream to Downstream, We Understand Your Industry. In complex transactions and certain cases, we actively engage with financial, tax, and environmental specialists, accountants, and law firms from various jurisdictions to add value to our clients. Our strong relationships with Government agencies, regulators, associations, and industry stakeholders ensure that our firm has a holistic view of legal matters.

ADCO Law is a Proud Member of the Alliott Global Alliance (AGA) in Indonesia. Founded in 1979, AGA is one of the largest and fastest-growing global multidisciplinary alliances, with 215 member firms in 95 countries. As a law firm, we also believe in regeneration. To stay abreast of business changes and stay relevant, our formation of lawyers is comprised of the top graduates from Indonesian and international law schools.