Danone loses in ruling

French food multinational Danone recently lost the latest round in its trademark battle with Chinese beverage company Wahaha.

A trademark panel ruled that the popular Wahaha trademark no longer belongs to the joint venture between Danone and Wahaha.

The panel said that a trademark transfer agreement signed in 1996 expired in 1999.

Danone said it was "shocked" by the verdict handed down by the Hangzhou Arbitration Commission and would appeal the ruling.

Hi-tech trade bases

China announced the approval of 20 national trade bases last week to boost the exports of hi-tech products and improve competitiveness in international markets.

The new centers, mostly hi-tech development zones in major cities such as Shanghai, Chongqing, Wuhan and Xiamen, have more than 300 national scientific research institutes, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology.

They are home to IT, biomedicine, manufacturing, fine chemicals, new materials and new energy sources industries.

With 18 centers approved last year, the move brings the number of national hi-tech trade bases to 38.

The Ministry of Commerce will help them develop products for overseas markets by providing support in research funding, training, export credit, commercial information and protection of intellectual property rights, said ministry official Zhang Ji.

Official figures show China's exports of hi-tech products jumped 31.8 percent year-on-year to $314.4 billion in the first 11 months.

Moutai brand strategy

Chinese liquor maker Kweichow Moutai Co Ltd says it is placing increasing emphasis on brand strategy and IPR protection.

The company has formulated a series of policies for management of IPRs, trade secrets, trademark licensing and branding, while establishing a department for IPR protection.

The company has applied for 354 trademarks at home and abroad, and has 11 design and invention patents, with four approved as "nationally excellent".

Since becoming an IPR pilot firm in Guizhou Province in 2005, Kweichow Moutai has allocated more than 10 million yuan to trademark and patent protection.

Mobile loses horse logo case

The four-year fracas between oil giant Mobil Oil and Wenzhou-based piston maker Cangnan Tianma had its first formal resolution recently, when the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce ruled that Mobil's opposition to Cangnan's "Tianma" trademark - which means flying horse in Chinese - was groundless.

Cangnan Tianma filed for registration of its logo with a flying horse in March 1999. In February 2003, the office made its initial determination and published the mark for public opposition.

Mobil filed an opposition on May 5, 2003 on the grounds that Mobil had registered the flying horse trademark. But Chinese law says the trademark is only protected under the category in which it was registered, one different from that used by Cagnan.

(China Daily 12/22/2007 page9)
 
 

2013-07-17