By Kenneth Choy, Partner, King & Wood – Hong Kong
At times, an international company may find that their application for registration of a trademark is rejected by the Chinese Trademark Office. When this happens and all administrative appeals are exhausted, are there alternative means of brand protection available in China?…
Continue Reading Copyright Protection for your Brand when Trademark Protection is Unavailable
By Jiang Ling, Partner, King & Wood’s Trademark Department
Concise and vivid advertising slogans quickly draw the public’s attention and are integral to a company’s brand. Over years of use and promotion, some slogans have become well-known to the public, such as Nike’s "Just do it", Adidas’ "Impossible is nothing" and DeBeers’ "Diamonds are forever." In many ways, such slogans are often no less important than the company’s logo and other marks. As such, companies must figure how to protect and prevent the unlicensed use of their advertising slogans. Accomplishing this in China presents a unique set of considerations.
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Continue Reading Just Do It!? Protecting Advertising Slogans in China Part I
Successfully handling rejection reviews, based on a prior similar mark, in the past has proven difficult. Rather than simply giving up registration of an important trademark, recent China Trademark Review and Adjudication Board (TRAB) decisions indicate that an effective alternative for applicants is trying to reach a co-existence agreement with the owner of the cited…