Article 4 of the Saudi Law of Commercial Data
المادة 4 من نظام البيانات التجارية
The article bars putting the seller's name or address on imported products without a clear statement of the country of manufacture, and bars marks that mislead the public into thinking products come from a place famous for producing them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز وضع اسم البائع أو عنوانه على منتجات واردة من بلد غير البلد الذي يحصل فيها البيع، ما لم يكن مقترنا ببيان دقيق مكتوب بحروف ظاهرة عن البلد أو الجهة التي صنع أو أنتج فيها. ولا يجوز للأشخاص المقيمين في جهة ذات شهرة خاصة في إنتاج بعض المنتجات أو صنعها من الذين يتجرون في منتجات مشابهة واردة من جهة أخرى- أن يضعوا عليها علاماتهم إذا كان من شأنها أن تضلل الجمهور فيما يتعلق بمصدر تلك المنتجات حتى ولو كانت العلامات لا تشتمل على أسماء هؤلاء الأشخاص أو عناوينهم، ما لم تتخذ التدابير الكفيلة بمنع كل لبس.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 4 explained in plain English
This article deals with two forms of misleading the source of products:
First form: the seller's name on an imported product
The seller's name or address may not be placed on products coming from a country other than the one where the sale takes place, unless accompanied by an accurate statement, in clearly visible letters, of the country or place where they were made or produced. The local seller's name alone may make the buyer think the product is locally made.
Second form: suggesting a famous place of origin
If a person resides in a place with a special reputation for producing or making certain products, and trades in similar products coming from another place, he may not put on them marks that would mislead the public about the source of those products. The ban applies even if the marks do not include his name or address, unless measures are taken that are sufficient to prevent any confusion.
The common idea is that consumers must know where the product really came from. These provisions are preceded in the Law by Article 3, which bars mentioning medals and awards except for those who earned them, with a correct statement of their date, type and grantor. Article 5 brings a similar provision for a manufacturer whose main factory is in one place and who manufactures in another. To assess the position of particular products, a lawyer specializing in commercial cases can be consulted.
Practical example
Fahd owns a shop in Riyadh and imported bags from abroad, printing his shop's name and address on them. Under this article he may not do so unless the name is accompanied by an accurate statement, in clearly visible letters, of the country where the bags were made.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 4 of the Saudi Law of Commercial Data
May a shop's name be put on imported products?
Only if accompanied by an accurate statement, in clearly visible letters, of the country or place where the product was made or produced.
Does the Law ban misleading marks even if they do not carry the merchant's name?
Yes. It bars marks that would mislead the public about the source of products even if they do not include those persons' names or addresses, unless measures are taken that are sufficient to prevent any confusion.
More articles on Misleading Commercial Data
- Article 3
The article bars mentioning medals, awards and honorary degrees except for the products and persons who earned them, with a correct statement of their date, type and grantor, and restricts use of distinctions won by joint exhibits.
لا يجوز ذكر ميداليات أو دبلومات أو جوائز أو درجات فخرية من أي نوع إلا بالنسبة للمنتجات التي تنطبق عليها هذه المميزات، وبالنسبة للأشخاص والأسماء التجارية الذين ا
- Article 5
The article bars a manufacturer from using the name of the place of his main factory on products he makes for his account elsewhere, unless the name is accompanied by a statement of the other place that leaves no confusion.
لا يجوز للصانع أن يستعمل اسم الجهة التي يوجد له بها مصنع رئيس فيما يصنع لحسابه من منتجات في جهة أخرى، ما لم يقترن هذا الاسم ببيان الجهة الأخرى على وجه يمتنع معه
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.