Why Ronghe Shaofang Wine constituted Trademark Infringement to Maotai Wine?

贵州茅台

(By You Yunting)Maotai, a well-known Chinese baijiu (the classic Chinese alcohol made from distilled sorghum that averages an alcohol content from of 53 percent), is made in Maotai Town, Huanren city in Guizhou Province. In Maotai town, there are many liquor factories but only the KWEICHOW MOUTAI CO., LTD (the “MOUTAI”) holds the “贵州茅台酒” trademark (the “disputed trademark”). On account of “Maotai” brand name glamour, such free riders likeother liquor factories’ use of the disputed trademark often happen. We would like to introduce a typical case regarding that Guizhou Ronghe Shaofang Wine Business Limited Company used a same bottle label and packaging with that of Maotai Wine but carries its “荣和”(pronounced “Ronghe” in English)brand in our today’s post. The final binding judgment contained by Beijing No.2 Intermediate People’s Court decided that such act of using the same bottle label and  packaging constituted trademark infringement.

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