Why did Chinese Courts Reject Perfetti’s Counterclaim for Unfair Competition?
(By You Yunting) Perfetti Van Melle Confectionery (China) Co., Ltd. (“Perfetti”) has a well-known candy named Alpenliebe, whose slogan is “浓浓奶香情 Nong Nong Nai Xiang Qing”. “浓浓 Nong Nong” refers to a strong scent, while “浓浓奶香情 Nong Nong Nai Xiang Qing” in English refers to a “strong milk taste,” i.e., the candy is notable for its rather strong milky flavor. A Zhejiang-based company owned the “浓浓 Nong Nong” trademark under the classification for candies, and filed a lawsuit accusing Perfetti of infringement and unfair competition for its use of that slogan. In today’s post, we will introduce relevant legislation on substantiality and procedure in this particular case.