Sep 21, 2022

Egyptian courts side with Sun World on grape cases

Three separate Egyptian courts have issued injunctions against four Egyptian companies who have grown Sun World International’s Sugrathirteen variety grapes without a license to do so.

The court also appointed experts to collect samples and other evidence from the infringing farms where the unauthorized Sugrathirteen variety grapevines were found. The economic courts in Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta affirmed the Egyptian plant variety rights (PVR) of the American-bred black seedless grape variety.

The Sugrathirteen table grape variety is owned by Sun World International, LLC., a global fruit genetics, licensing and technology company whose fruit is marketed globally under the Midnight Beauty brand and other popular fruit brands. The California-based company has a long-standing business developing and licensing its proprietary plant varieties to growers worldwide, including to Egyptian farmers, who earn a premium for growing Sun World’s superior varieties.

Despite Sun World’s PVR registrations in Egypt, some unauthorized farmers have been found growing Sun World’s varieties, thus breaking Egyptian PVR and criminal laws, and damaging the Egyptian table grape export market for authorized growers, according to Sun World.

“The company will enforce the full extent of its rights against these infringers, seeking to stop illegal production and damages for past infringement,” Michael Stimson, Sun World’s vice president of intellectual property, said in a news release.

The unlicensed Sugrathirteen grapes (legally marketed under the Midnight Beauty brand) are sometimes labeled as Black Magic grapes.

Sun World encourages growers in Egypt who are interested in planting the Sugrathirteen black seedless table grapes variety to obtain a license to plant and propagate Sugrathirteen vines and to sell fruit under its authorized Midnight Beauty brand. Licensed growers avoid criminal legal actions and civil liability and are welcome members of the community of grape producers who respect Egyptian law.

To contact the company, email Michael Stimson: [email protected].

Sun World is a global variety development and licensing business whose mission is to drive the growth of fruit breeding, varietal development and licensing. The California-based company has a network of licensed growers and marketers and maintains offices in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America, Israel, North Africa, and South Africa.