Bottom line: A favorable court ruling in a trademark dispute is the latest positive step for Facebook in China, and reinforces a view that it could get permission to open a Chinese service within the next year.
Facebook wins trademark ruling in Beijing
Social networking giant Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) may be absent on the China Internet, but a new victory in a local trademark dispute shows its name is gaining traction in the Chinese legal system. Some are pointing out that Facebook’s victory against a beverage maker that tried to register its trademark contrasts sharply with the loss in a similar case last week for US smartphone giant Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). (previous post)
While both decisions came from courts in Beijing, it’s probably a bit unfair to compare the 2 since each has to be considered based on individual facts and evidence. But this latest trademark victory does appear to show that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s strategy of currying favor with Beijing may be producing results, as he pursues his ultimate goal of launching a Chinese version of his social networking service (SNS). Read Full Post…
Bottom line: The Commerce Ministry should mediate an industrywide settlement over Alibaba’s claims to the Double Eleven Trademark to prevent the dispute from disrupting the nation’s e-commerce development.
Regulator should mediate Double Eleven dispute
As the buying frenzy builds to a crescendo on this year’s November 11 Singles Day, e-commerce giant Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) should be commended for turning an ordinary day of the year into a shoppers paradise that now generates more sales than any other major retailing day in the world. (company announcement)
But this year’s binge-buying day has also seen some controversy, as Alibaba’s flagship Tmall shopping site reportedly made behind-the-scenes threats to some media warning them not to run advertisements featuring the Double Eleven moniker. Tmall reportedly said such ads violated its trademarks, and indeed Alibaba has registered several trademarks related to the “Double Eleven” name that is a Chinese shorthand for the eleventh day of the eleventh month each year. (previous post) Read Full Post…
I’m not a big fan of “events” like the upcoming November 11 Singles’ Day, which are often created by companies in an attempt to boost sales. But in this case the latest reports on the upcoming date are providing a bit of controversy and entertainment, with word that e-commerce leader Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) is taking steps to protect trademark rights to a shopping event that it single-handedly created. In this case, media are reporting that Alibaba is saying that it owns the rights to the “Double Eleven” trademark, and is telling media to reject related advertisements from rivals like JD.com (Nasdaq: JD). Read Full Post…
After zooming into China with a slick publicity campaign earlier this year, electric car superstar Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) has run into a major new roadblock in one of its most promising markets over a trademark dispute. Tesla thought it had settled a matter that jumped into the headlines last summer as it was preparing to formally move into China. But apparently the trademark squatter who purchased the Tesla names in English and Chinese wasn’t satisfied, and has formally sued the company. Based on past cases, this one could be costly for Tesla, forcing it to pay tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars if it wants to reclaim its name in China. Read Full Post…
US electric car maker Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) has landed in the headlines with an escalating trademark dispute in China, casting a spotlight on Beijing’s ongoing efforts to bolster the country’s intellectual property (IP) protections. China has made great strides in its IP protection in the last 5 years, resulting in a healthier business environment where both domestic and foreign companies can feel more secure that their trademarks, copyrights and product designs won’t be illegally stolen and copied. Read Full Post…
