"In November 2009, there were a series of complaints from our customers in Dubai and Iran with the finding of fake soap for which its aroma and packaging are likely similar," General Manager of PT. Megasurya Mas, Wibowo Suryadinata, said as contacted by phone from Jakarta on Thursday.
PT. Megasurya Mas which is located in East Java is a producer of soap, butter and candles. Lervia soaps of this company have so far been exported to foreign countries including China.
In addition to Lervia, the company export other brands of soap such as Medicare, Harmony and Popular.
Wibowo also wondered the aroma of perfume of fake products which is really the same with the genuine one. " However there is an alleged falsification of the products to the police."
One thing to note was that the aroma of perfume of Lervia and other products have been so far supplied by Symrise, a perfume aroma company from Germany.
"In the ethic of aroma/perfume, a perfume supplier can only sell its product to only one company who has ordered the aroma concerned," Wibowo said. Because, the aroma of the perfume is so specific and has turned out to be the identity of the product.
Consumers can easily identify the product from its aroma. Let alone the process of aroma-making also takes time which involves perfume makers and its buyers.
For that purpose, Wibowo said his side ever asked about this problem to Symrise in a bid to know the real problem. But after a long discussion and mediation, Symrise procrastinated and even stopped the supply of perfumes, thus causing a great losses on PT. Megasurya.
Earlier, it was reported that PT Megasurya Mas filed a compensation claim with a value of about USD11.87 million against PT. Symrise in a case on perfume production as the materials of soap at the state district court of South Jakarta.
PT. Megasurya said Symrise Asia Pacific, Pte Ltd which was at that time led by Thomas Dressler as the president of Scent and Care, had actually broken a promise on account of a stop in the supply of perfume as the material of soap making, thus causing a loss to the litigant.(*)
(T. E002/HAJM/a014)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
