Unauthorized Commercial Use of International Trademarks: Study Case of I Gede Arya Raditya Parameswara
A comprehensive AEGIS legal research report and cross-jurisdiction risk audit analyzing commercial trademark infringement, nominative fair use limits, and legal exposure under Indonesian and UK law.
RAHMAT WIBOWO | INFRALOKA LEGAL RESEARCH | PT INFRASTRUKTUR DIGITAL NUSANTARA
Executive Summary
I Gede Arya Raditya Parameswara (hereafter "Defendant") is an Indonesian national currently domiciled in London, United Kingdom, employed as a Software Development Engineer (SDE) at Amazon, specializing in Rust, C++, and Distributed Systems. He is an alumnus of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) and holds an active LinkedIn profile with approximately 4,760 followers.
The Defendant operates a paid career mentoring and coaching business at https://www.gedearya.com/. On the homepage of this commercial website, the Defendant prominently displays the registered and legally protected logos of 9 (nine) multinational corporations without authorization from any of the trademark owners. These logos — belonging to companies spanning Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States — are displayed to create the false impression that these corporations endorse, affiliate with, or approve of the Defendant's coaching services. No such commercial relationship exists.
This constitutes trademark infringement, unfair competition, and fraud under Indonesian law, and trademark infringement under UK law, with criminal exposure under both jurisdictions.
Defendant Profile
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | I Gede Arya Raditya Parameswara |
| Nationality | Indonesian (WNI) |
| Current Domicile | London Area, United Kingdom |
| Employer | Amazon — SDE (Rust, C++, Distributed Systems) |
| Education | Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) |
| Achievement | ICPC World Finals Playoff 2024 |
| ~4,760 followers, 500+ connections | |
| Infringing Website | https://www.gedearya.com/ |
Critical Jurisdictional Note: The Defendant is an Indonesian citizen (WNI) currently residing in the UK as a foreign worker. This creates two simultaneous prosecution tracks: Indonesian law (nationality jurisdiction) and UK law (domicile and place of business operation), both of which can proceed in parallel.
Evidence
Evidence 1 — LinkedIn Profile: Identity & Location Confirmation
This screenshot confirms the Defendant's identity: I Gede Arya Raditya Parameswara, SDE at Amazon, residing in the London Area, United Kingdom, with education at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). This establishes dual jurisdiction — Indonesian nationality law applies, and UK law applies based on domicile.
Evidence 2 — Website Homepage: Unauthorized Use of 9 Trademarked Logos
This is the homepage of https://www.gedearya.com/. The Defendant displays the registered trademarks of 9 companies from 4 countries to commercially attract paying mentees, with the tagline "From fresh graduates to career changers, I've helped mentees land their dream jobs." The trademarked logos displayed without authorization are:
- Money Forward 🇯🇵 (Japan)
- Traveloka 🇮🇩 (Indonesia)
- Gojek 🇮🇩 (Indonesia)
- Samsung 🇰🇷 (South Korea)
- J.P. Morgan 🇺🇸 (United States)
- Mekari 🇮🇩 (Indonesia)
- Cermati 🇮🇩 (Indonesia)
- DANA 🇮🇩 (Indonesia)
- Speechify 🇺🇸 (United States)
None of these trademark owners have authorized the Defendant to display their logos.
Evidence 3 — PageSpeed Report (Desktop): Website Active Confirmation
Google PageSpeed Insights report generated for https://www.gedearya.com/ — Desktop view. Scores: Performance 67, Accessibility 92, Best Practices 96, SEO 100. This confirms the website is actively operational with real traffic, and that the infringing content was live and publicly accessible at the time of documentation.
Evidence 4 — PageSpeed Report (Mobile): Dual-Platform Operation
Google PageSpeed Insights report — Mobile view of the same website. Performance 73, Accessibility 96, Best Practices 96, SEO 100. The website is optimized for both desktop and mobile, indicating a professionally maintained commercial platform with an active user acquisition strategy.
Trademarks Infringed
| No | Brand | Country of Origin | Registration Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Money Forward | Japan 🇯🇵 | Registered internationally (Madrid Protocol) |
| 2 | Traveloka | Indonesia 🇮🇩 | Registered at DJKI Indonesia |
| 3 | Gojek | Indonesia 🇮🇩 | Registered at DJKI Indonesia + internationally |
| 4 | Samsung | South Korea 🇰🇷 | Registered internationally, including UK & Indonesia |
| 5 | J.P. Morgan | United States 🇺🇸 | Registered internationally, including UK |
| 6 | Mekari | Indonesia 🇮🇩 | Registered at DJKI Indonesia |
| 7 | Cermati | Indonesia 🇮🇩 | Registered at DJKI Indonesia |
| 8 | DANA | Indonesia 🇮🇩 | Registered at DJKI Indonesia |
| 9 | Speechify | United States 🇺🇸 | Registered at USPTO, UK IPO |
Applicable Legal Provisions
A. Indonesian Law — Statutory Citations
| No | Statute | Article | Violation Type | Sanction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KUH Perdata | Art. 1365 | Unlawful act (PMH) — exploiting another party's trademark for commercial gain without authorization | Basis for material and immaterial damages claim |
| 2 | KUHP UU 1/2023 | Art. 492 | Fraud — using false pretenses (unlicensed logos) to induce payment for services | Imprisonment up to 4 years or Category V fine |
| 3 | KUHP UU 1/2023 | Art. 495 | Deceptive act causing economic harm through false information | Imprisonment up to 1 year or Category II fine |
| 4 | KUHP UU 1/2023 | Art. 500 | Unfair competition — deceptive acts to expand one's own business at others' expense | Imprisonment up to 2 years or Category III fine |
| 5 | UU 20/2016 (Trademark) | Art. 83 | Civil action for trademark infringement by unauthorized third party | Damages + legal costs to trademark owner |
| 6 | UU 20/2016 (Trademark) | Art. 100 | Criminal use of mark identical to registered trademark in the same service class | Imprisonment up to 5 years, fine up to IDR 2 billion |
| 7 | UU 20/2016 (Trademark) | Art. 101 | Use of famous/well-known marks (Samsung, J.P. Morgan) — even for different services constitutes infringement | Imprisonment up to 3 years, fine up to IDR 1 billion |
B. UK Law
| No | Statute | Section | Violation Type | Sanction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | UK Trade Marks Act 1994 | Section 10(1) | Use of sign identical to registered trademark without consent | Civil sanctions + injunction |
| 9 | UK Trade Marks Act 1994 | Section 10(3) | Use of well-known marks (Samsung, J.P. Morgan) even for different services, gaining unfair advantage from their reputation | Dilution / tarnishment claim |
| 10 | UK Trade Marks Act 1994 | Section 92 | Criminal: using sign identical to registered trademark in the course of trade without authorization | Imprisonment up to 10 years (England & Wales) |
AEGIS Module F — Critical Defense Analysis
Defense 1: "Nominative Fair Use"
- Defendant's Argument: "I am only displaying the names of companies where my mentees work."
- AEGIS Finding: VERY WEAK (2/10) — Nominative fair use protects text names, not full visual logos (e.g., Gojek owl icon, Traveloka wordmark). Displaying 9 visual logos on a commercial homepage exceeds the necessary minimum.
Defense 2: "No Consumer Confusion"
- Defendant's Argument: "No reasonable consumer thinks Samsung or J.P. Morgan sponsors my service."
- AEGIS Finding: WEAK (4/10) — Under UU Merek Art. 101 and UK TMA Sec. 10(3), well-known marks are protected against dilution and unfair advantage without needing to prove consumer confusion.
Defense 3: "Implied Consent Through Testimonials"
- Defendant's Argument: "My mentees consented to testimonials, extending to company logos."
- AEGIS Finding: LEGALLY INVALID (1/10) — Employees have zero legal authority to license corporate registered trademarks.
Defense 4: "Informational / Non-Commercial Use"
- Defendant's Argument: "My website is informational social proof."
- AEGIS Finding: LEGALLY INVALID (1/10) — gedearya.com operates as a commercial conversion funnel directing visitors to paid mentoring arrangements.
Defense 5: "Freedom of Expression" (UK Context)
- Defendant's Argument: "I have a right to free expression under UK law."
- AEGIS Finding: WEAK (3/10) — Freedom of expression covers referential facts, not commercial exploitation of trademark logos for profit (Boehringer Ingelheim v. Swingward).
Verdict Probability & Cross-Jurisdiction Strategy
| Category | Probability | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Low Severity | 13% | Administrative takedown, warning, mediation |
| Moderate Severity | 44% | Civil damages (IDR 500M–2B per mark), suspended sentence |
| High Severity | 43% | Active imprisonment, major damages (IDR 10B+ aggregate), UK TMA Sec. 92 prosecution |
Dual Prosecution Tracks:
- Indonesia Track: Administrative report to DJKI, civil lawsuit at Commercial Court (Pengadilan Niaga Jakarta Pusat) under UU 20/2016 & KUH Perdata Art. 1365, and criminal report to Bareskrim Polri (Ditipideksus).
- UK Track: Civil action at Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) or High Court Chancery Division, plus criminal report under Section 92 UK Trade Marks Act 1994 (up to 10 years imprisonment).
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