The eight mistakes brand owners make in China
01 March 2010
Peter Ollier explains the avoidable errors that brand owners keep on making when using China's trade mark system
Paying money for a trade mark that you thought you already owned is frustrating for any brand owner. But imagine paying $3.65 million for it. Even in an age of billion-dollar bailouts and trillion-dollar deficits, paying millions of US dollars for a trade mark seems extreme. But that was the amount paid by Apple for the right to use the iPhone trade mark for mobile phones in China.
Even worse, Apple was held to ransom for an avoidable mistake (read on to find out which one) made when the company tried to register the mark in China in 2002. At that time many companies were still honing their China strategies and both they (and their lawyers) could offer the excuse that they were unfamiliar with China's legal system. Surely brand owners aren't still making the same mistakes?
Don't bet on it. Foreign companies doing business in China often complain...
Only subscribers have complete access to Managing IP Magazine,
log in or
subscribe now.
Alternatively take a
free trial, giving you 48-hour access to Managing IP Magazine (some articles and surveys may be excluded).
Subscribe Now
This article is available to subscribers. Please click subscribe to read the rest of the article.
Subscribe
Take a free trial
Please take a free 48-hour trial to gain limited access. Some articles and surveys may be excluded.
Take a free trial