Following the Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed its appeal, M/s Options International deposited the PKR 6 million penalty under Section 40(8) of the Competition Act 2010 into the national treasury, the Competition Commission (CCP) of Pakistan said in a statement.
This Supreme Court decision marks the end of a comprehensive legal battle that began with a formal complaint from Starbucks leading to an investigation and enforcement action by the CCP.
In June 2024, the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) dismissed Options International’s appeal, increasing the primary penalty from Rs 5 million to Rs 6 million and prohibiting the company from illegally using the Starbucks brand name and logo.
M/s Options International filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the CAT’s order, which was dismissed by the court. The Supreme Court ruled that “Options International,” put itself forward by selling its products under the international brand name Starbucks and by using its logo, which amounts to deceptive marketing.
Since the new management has taken over, CCP has effectively recovered fines of Rs 38 million, demonstrating substantial progress in its fight against cartel conduct.
