Crackdown on ‘malicious’ trademark registrations eyed

Int’l brands say copyright misused

BEIJING, Dec 24, ( RTRS): China plans to change the law to crackdown on “malicious” trademark registrations, state media said on Monday, after a series of cases in which wellknow international brands and individuals have had their names or copyright misused.

Foreign governments, including the United States, have for years urged China to take a stronger stand against intellectual property rights violations on products ranging from medicines to software to DVD movies.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is one of the latest to accuse a company of using his name without per- Legislative Affairs Office, as saying.

“The draft amendment sets down the principle of ‘compensation and relocation first, expropriation later’,” Song said.

Farmers whose land is expropriated mission, and French luxury group Hermes International SCA and Apple Inc have faced trademark problems too.

The proposed amendment will offer protection to major international brands, giving copyright owners the right to ban others from registering their trademarks or from using similar ones, even if such trademarks are not registered, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

“The draft is intended to curb the malicious registration of trademarks,” Xinhua said.

The country’s legislature — which performs a largely rubber stamp role and who then find it hard to find a new job will be given training, employment guidance and other help in looking for work, he said.

Xinhua did not say when the new rules — will discuss the amendment this week, it said, without saying when the new rules could be put in place or providing other details.

The move comes after basketball star Michael Jordan filed a lawsuit in China in February against a Chinese sportswear company, accusing the firm of unauthorised use of his name.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame recipient and former Chicago Bulls star said that Qiaodan Sports, a company located in the southern Fujian province, had built its business around his Chinese name “Qiaodan” and jersey number without his permission. would take effect.

Chinese farmers do not directly own most of their fields. Instead, most rural land is owned collectively by a village and farmers get leases that last for decades.