My Salah Mat’s battle with a Chinese Counterfeit Company

Counterfeit goods is defined as: 

1. Good which, or the packaging of which, bears a sign directly or likely to be mistaken for a registered trademark.

2. Material bearing such a sign intended to be used for labelling of packaging goods as business paper in relation to goods, or for advertising goods

3. Articles specifically designed or adapted or making copies of such a sign

[Trade Marks Act 1994]

We became aware of these products in 2019, and soon obtained a counterfeit version. Despite the attempted forgery, there are many noticeable differences, and we will continue to add new languages and features that will make the fake distinguishable from the authentic, safe prayer mat. So far you can tell the difference with our unique hologram, as well as the increased number of languages included.

Above image - [How to recognise an original My Salah Mat]

As unfortunate as it is, we have legal cases in the UAE, the Netherlands and Indonesia, being forced to send cease and desist letters. This is the first step in combating counterfeits, informing the company of their infringement and giving an early opportunity for them to stop without fines or legal action.

Sometimes companies do not know they are selling fake products, mistakes happen from time to time, so most remove listings right away. Although fakes have to be destroyed and a company can lose money as a result, it is better for them not to sell dangerous fakes or to suffer legal damage. 

For those who fail to respond or to act, we have been forced to take further actions. This begins with further letters from our legal representatives, and ends with taking these companies to court. 

The cases are often clear-cut as we have the registered trademarks, and when we win the penalties can include: payment of legal fees for both sides, submission of information regarding who they bought the product from (how many, ect), submission of the counterfeit products to our legal team for destruction, and reimbursement to My Salah Mat for damage done to the brand; which can be in the tens of thousands of pounds [£]. 

All of these are not experiences we like to have in our company, and we make sure to give companies weeks of opportunity to correct honest mistakes. However, some do not listen or have more nefarious intentions, and this is the time when legal action has to be taken for the sanctity of our brand and the safety of our customers. 

One of the most worrying aspects of the fake product is that while both the real and fake have been made with electronic sensors, My Salah Mat uses waterproof and fireproof material, and passes yearly safety checks, but the fakes do not. The fake product is not only a breach of copyrighted property, but it is also dangerous for children to use.

Involvement with counterfeit goods is  equally as immoral from an islamic perspective, as it is related to lying and unfair business practises. Imam Afdal Feroz, in a twitter post, has explained this concept at length. Creating or distributing goods goes against the teachings of islam. Buying counterfeit products is also encouraging this immoral behaviour.

Impermissibility of selling and buying counterfeit products. Full video here: https://t.co/zJbgodE7FK #fakegoods #honestyinbusiness #businesswithAllah @MySalahMat pic.twitter.com/G75udGvwM3

— Afdal Feroz (@AfdalFeroz) July 22, 2020

We have already warned our customers about the fake prayer mat in an open letter [Embedded Below] but the legal battle with companies that create or distribute fakes is congoing. We intend to follow up on every case of counterfeit we find, and exercise the full extent of the law - wherever it may be. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by My Salah Mat (@mysalahmat) on Jul 17, 2020 at 3:22am PDT

The existence of such products puts our name and the safety of our customers in danger. We would urge both customers and distributors to be vigilant of fakes, as they are dangerous, illegal and immoral.

If you think you know of a product which is not original please get In touch and we can resolve this issue. 

Contact: info@mysalahmat.com 

If you want to know who your Official local re-seller is please click here

Official website is www.mysalahmat.com