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Woolworths agreed this week to remove a lingerie range from its shelves.

August 2, 2007 By Roy Cokayne Pretoria – Woolworths agreed this week to remove a lingerie range from its shelves. The range allegedly comprised copies of the Banana Moon brand marketed by Monaco Casuals, a company owned by Natro Freight Holdings. However, the parties provided different views on the reason for the removal of the so-called offending garments. Jake Alberts, the managing director of Natro Freight, said Woolworths had agreed to remove the garments from its shelves and was investigating the source of the range. “The stuff came from China, but they are a big organisation and are investigating how, why and what. They don’t want to litigate and want to try and find a solution,” said Alberts. “They asked for a bit of time to get the stuff off the shelves, but effectively it was off their shelves by Thursday [last week].” He said Woolworths had agreed to settle the matter, but the damages suffered by Monaco Casuals were “something we [still] have to chat about”. Last year Monaco Casuals secured exclusive distribution rights in southern Africa for the lingerie, beach and casualwear brand manufactured in Monaco and distributed worldwide. The company has Banana Moon stores in Rosebank and Fourways as well as in Jeffrey’s Bay and Cape Town. Woolworths said on Monday that claims by Banana Moon, including breach of copyright, were being investigated. “Woolworths can confirm that, in the interim, all alleged offending garments have been removed from the shelves in an effort to resolve this matter amicably, but this is subject to Woolworths’ receipt of appropriate evidence of Banana Moon’s rights. “Woolworths policy is, as always, to act with total integrity in the buying process, respecting copyright issues,” said Woolworths. Alberts threatened last month to apply for an urgent interdict if Woolworths did not, among other things, remove all the offending garments from its shelves. Nathaniel Duarte, the Banana Moon brand manager at Monaco Casuals, said the company started distributing the brand’s garments in South Africa in June last year. Since its inception, the company had imported more than 15 000 pieces. With the recent opening of its new flagship store in Fourways, the company hoped to increase this to 45 000 items by this time next year.