Islamabad, January 2, 2026 – The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has imposed a Rs150 million penalty on Mezan Beverages (Private) Limited, maker of Storm energy drink, for engaging in deceptive marketing practices, the commission announced on Friday.
According to the CCP, Mezan copied the packaging and trade dress of PepsiCo’s Sting energy drink, violating Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, which prohibits practices that mislead consumers.
The Commission found that Storm closely imitated Sting’s overall design, including the red-dominant colour scheme, bold slanted white lettering, aggressive visual motifs, bottle shape, and branding elements. Such similarity created a high likelihood of consumer confusion at the point of sale, constituting parasitic copying and unfair competition.
The matter traces back to 2018, when PepsiCo Inc. filed a complaint alleging that Storm was deliberately designed to benefit from Sting’s established goodwill. Mezan repeatedly challenged CCP’s authority, obtaining stay orders from the Lahore High Court in 2018 and 2021, which delayed the investigation.
In June 2024, the Lahore High Court dismissed Mezan’s petition, upholding CCP’s jurisdiction and clarifying that early challenges to show-cause notices are not maintainable. The Court emphasized that Competition Act proceedings are independent of trademark disputes and that Mezan’s litigation had been used to stall regulatory proceedings.
The CCP highlighted that deception is assessed based on the overall commercial impression, not minor differences examined side by side. Holding a registered trademark, the Commission noted, does not exempt a company from competition law when consumer confusion and passing-off are established.
By imposing the Rs150 million fine, the CCP reinforced that copycat branding and misleading packaging will not be tolerated, regardless of a company’s size or local presence, reaffirming its commitment to consumer protection and fair market competition in Pakistan.