Civil Court Rejects Interim Injunction Over 'Maldives Expo' Name Use

The Civil Court has ruled against issuing a temporary order requested by a private company to stop the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the Business Centre Corporation (BCC) from using the name 'Maldives Expo'. This year's productivity exhibition was held from last Friday until the end of last Monday. The case involved an interim injunction application filed by Maldives Expo Private Limited, which sought a temporary ban on the state and BCC using the name before a substantive lawsuit is filed. The company argued that it legally registered the name in February 2023 and claimed that since December 2024, state-run exhibitions under that name have caused significant damage to its business. In response, the state argued that a company name and a business name are distinct, and that 'Maldives Expo' is a generic name that cannot be owned by a single entity. The state added that the exhibition is organized nationally to provide opportunities for Maldivian artisans in the public interest. Judge Razeena Idris, who heard the case, determined that the damages claimed by the party seeking the order are commercial damages that can later be compensated with money, and thus it was not proven that irreparable harm would occur without a temporary order. Furthermore, considering public interest, the judge noted that as the exhibition serves the large interests of many Maldivian producers, businessmen, and the general public as a social activity, public interest must be prioritized over private business interests. Therefore, the conditions required for a temporary order issued before filing a lawsuit were not met.