SARU Battle against Eskort over Intellectual Property Rights Breach

SARU, South Africa's leading Rugby Union, expressed its stance against intellectual property (IP) infringements by successfully securing a court order against the enterprise - Eskort, which was alleged to have utilized the Springboks brand in its marketing campaign, thereby violating strict IP guidelines.

The court order, issued by the Gauteng Division of the High Court, mandated Eskort to revoke the incriminating symbols from all advertising materials, products, and digital platforms, inclusive of websites, social media, and other electronic interfaces.

Responding to the court order, Eskort has obliterated the contentious advert, responding with a witty comeback. The issue is bound to be revisited for further argumentation at a later scheduled date.

Under the vigilant leadership of CEO Rian Oberholzer, SARU has also triumphed in obliterating online trades selling pirated apparels. These unauthorized online stores took advantage of the public fervor surrounding the Rugby World Cup.

Oberholzer reinforced SARU's commitment to defend the rights of valuable partners like MTN and FNB, who have steadfastly backed the Boks financially. He stressed on the exclusivity partners pay for, to employ the Springbok brand, and how it isn't open for indiscriminate use. He also cautioned companies that subtly co-relate their brand with Springbok without breaching IP rights, saying proper channels should be used for support.

Previously, SARU cautioned fans against purchasing fraudulent rugby shirts from online platforms claiming to be "official". Their battle against IP violations continue as the Springboks prepare for their World Cup match against Romania in Bordeaux coming Sunday.