Colombia’s Competition Authority Finds Company Responsible for Unfair Competition Over Chevron Trademark

By Castillo Grau Abogados

Colombia’s Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) has declared that Latinoamericana de Filtros JM S.A.S. committed acts of unfair competition by misusing the Chevron trademark and misleading consumers in the marketplace. This ruling stems from an investigation into the company’s commercial practices and their compliance with fair competition and trademark laws in Colombia.

According to the SIC’s analysis, the company engaged in multiple behaviors that violated the legal standards of competition loyalty and trademark use. Among the practices identified were the commercialization of products branded as Chevron without meeting the required quality standards, presenting itself to the public as an authorized “Master Distributor” of Chevron Petroleum Company without proper authorization, and selling lubricants under the Chevron name that it had not acquired through Chevron’s formal supply chain. These actions raised concerns that the products being offered were being presented with unverified origin and quality, creating the risk of consumer confusion. 

The SIC further found that the company suggested alignment with Chevron’s pricing and standards, despite lacking access to official pricing information or authorization from Chevron. It also sold lubricants bearing Chevron‑licensed branding that included non‑original or potentially tampered units. These elements, taken together, led the authority to conclude that the company created a false impression of a commercial relationship or endorsement by Chevron, which could mislead consumers regarding the origin and quality of the products. 

Under Colombian law, actions that create consumer confusion or exploit the prestige and reputation of another company’s brand without authorization constitute unfair competition. This includes the unauthorized use of well‑known trademarks in a way that could imply a link with the trademark owner or give the unauthorized seller an unfair advantage in the marketplace. Such practices run counter to the principles of honest commercial conduct and can distort competition to the detriment of both competitors and consumers.