Google wins suit

Google Inc recently won a lawsuit in China over its subsidiary's name and trademark in Chinese, ending an 18-month dispute with a local company, Shanghai Daily reported.

Beijing Guge Science and Technology Co will pay Google China 100,000 yuan in compensation, according to a filing by Beijing's Haidian District court.

In 2006, Google named its unit in the country "Gu Ge", which means "harvesting song" in Chinese. A year later, Beijing Guge sued Google, claiming the California-based Internet company was using its name. The court ruled that Beijing Guge must stop using the name because it belongs to Google's China unit, according to the filing.

Baidu bags award

Baidu Company, China's top Chinese search engine, recently received a 1-million yuan special award fund for Chinese well-known trademark after being recognized as Chinese Well-known Trademark by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

The fund is set up by Haidian district of Beijing.

Shoe fraud

The Law Offices of Steve Qi & Associates has won a lawsuit against Citicross Corp, a shoe importer/wholesaler located in Los Angeles' City of Industry, on behalf of four exporters of women's shoes from Guangdong province, Xinhua reported.

The law firm said it obtained the full requested damage amount, plus interest totaling $3 million in a ruling rendered recently after a court trial in California Superior Court in Pomona of Los Angeles.

It helped the plaintiffs to prevail on fraud cause of action, in addition to other Breach of Contract causes of action, a "significant" win for the plaintiffs, according to a press release.

The case started in September 2007 when the law firm was retained by four hoe exporters from Guangdong to file a lawsuit against the local importer/wholesaler.

After careful planning, the law firm successfully obtained a pre-judgment writ of attachment against the importer/wholesaler before the defendant corporation was even aware of the lawsuit, according to the press release. The lawsuit alleged, among other things, breach of contract and fraud.

(China Daily 01/19/2009 page9)