A new way to deter banknote counterfeiters? The Bank of Israel recently filed an intellectual property claim in the Ramla Magistrate’s Court for NIS 400,000 against two brothers who were convicted of counterfeiting banknotes. In a lawsuit filed through the Central District Attorney’s Office (civil), it is alleged that the brothers Or and Yoav Balulu from Ramla violated the copyright of the Bank of Israel by copying the portraits that appear on the banknotes.
It should be noted that the civil lawsuit that has now been filed is another step following a criminal proceeding conducted against the brothers, in which they were convicted of, among other things, offenses of counterfeiting money and possession of counterfeit money and were sentenced to imprisonment and fines. In the criminal verdict given against the two, it was determined that during 2018, Or Lulu operated a laboratory for forgery, issuance and sale of counterfeit banknotes at his home in Ramla, and later contacted his brother, Yoav Balulu, to establish and operate another home forgery lab at his home in Ramla. The total number of transactions made as part of the distribution of counterfeit money is estimated at NIS 660,000, with a single counterfeit banknote worth NIS 100 sold for NIS 13 and a counterfeit banknote worth NIS 200 sold for NIS 17.
Now, after the criminal conviction, the Bank of Israel and the Central District Attorney’s Office have decided to take another step and sue the two brothers on the civil level as well. The lawsuit filed on behalf of the Bank of Israel by Adv. Roi Rand of the Central District Attorney’s Office alleges that beyond the criminal aspect, the defendants forged banknotes that are part of a unique series whose designs were chosen in a public design competition for the first time in Bank of Israel and the state. More than 80 artists and graphic designers took part, submitting about 100 design proposals to the selection committee. Leah Goldberg, Shaul Tchernichovsky and Rachel Blubstein for society and the state According to the lawsuit, in a complex and resource-intensive work process, the Bank of Israel processed the selected designs and turned them into banknotes, while combining means and security marks, among other things to prevent counterfeit banknotes. The design of the banknotes and sketches were transferred in full, exclusively and unlimitedly to the ownership of the Bank of Israel.
In light of the large investment, the Bank of Israel is asking the court to order the defendants to pay a total of NIS 400,000 for their actions, as well as to bear the legal costs. The purpose of the lawsuit in question is to receive compensation for the violation of the rights of the Bank of Israel, which is within the scope of the realization of the Bank’s rights at the civil level, detached from the criminal punishment and in addition.