Court upholds firm's exclusive right to sell Red Bull in Phl

Manila, Philippines - A Quezon City court has upheld the exclusive distributorship right of Energy Food and Drinks Inc. (EFDI) to solely import, distribute and market popular energy drink Red Bull in the country.

In his May 16 order, Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 217 Judge Santiago Arenas junked for lack of merit a motion for reconsideration filed by TC Pharmaceutical Industries Co. of Thailand to reverse his Jan. 19 order favoring EFDI.

Arenas also junked TC Pharmaceutical’s plea to file a counter-bond in case its motion is not granted.

Last Jan. 19, Arenas issued a writ of preliminary prohibitory injunction enjoining TC Pharmaceuticals from working to terminate EFDI’s exclusive distributorship rights in the Philippines and from authorizing any firm other than EFDI to act as a distributor of Red Bull products.

Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez acknowledged in a memorandum the court’s Jan. 19 ruling and circulated the document to all those under him.

Previously, five officers of Maryland Distributors were charged by the EFDI and arraigned for distributing Red Bull energy drinks in the Philippines. EFDI was granted exclusive distribution rights in 1993 by the Bureau of Food and Drugs, and the authorization is valid until May 2013.

EFDI said Maryland Distributors was caught tampering with Red Bull products, an offense that is punishable by two to five years’ imprisonment and a fine ranging from P50,000 to P200,000.