Why Did Apple Filed the First “iWatch” Trademark In Jamaica?

(By You Yunting) According to media reports, Apple Inc. (“Apple”) has filed for “iWatch” trademark in several countries and regions, including: Japan, Mexico, Russia and Taiwan. Searching the trademark database in mainland China and Taiwan, the author discovered that Apple filed its iWatch trademark in Taiwan in June 2013.As for the trademark application in mainland China, because it takes a longer period of time for trademark application to be recorded on China Trademark Office’s website, we could only check the information concerning applications made several months ago. Therefore, if Apple filed the application in early June, then we would have no way to confirm it right now. Furthermore, we have found no records regarding Apple’s iWatch trademark application in China. The following are information of Apple’s “iWatch” trademark application in Taiwan:

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Would the Cancellation of the Applicant Lead to the Invalidity of Trademark Application in China?

(By Luo Yanjie) Abstract: trademark application may take a long time. If the applicant encounters any change on its subject qualification, it shall handle the trademark transfer procedure as soon as possible, or otherwise the trademark could be cancelled.

It normally takes about one year from submitting the trademark application to the right granting. If during the application process it encounters any opposition, the time it takes for right granting adjudication would be much longer, possibly extending to several years. While during that period, the applicant may face a change on its subject qualification, and then will the trademark application be influenced in such a situation? In today’s post, you will see a typical case that we would like to share it with our readers.

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How to Legally Use Mickey Mouse Brand and FIgure in China?

By You Yunting

About one month before, the IPR Committee of Shanghai Bar Association invited the police officer from the Economic Investigating Squadron of Shanghai Police Department to deliver a speech on the criminal protection over IPR issues. And in the communication after the seminar, the police officer raised a question to the acceded lawyers, “The Shanghai Disney Land will be constructed several years later, and it’s foreseeable that there could be stores selling Mickey Mouse or other figures articles with no license thereby granted around the park. Yet, by then, the copyright protection term on Mickey could be expired, and so what measures could be taken to strike the unlicensed using or selling?”

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Analysis on Advantages and Disadvantage of Trademark Full-class Registration in China

By Albert Chen

We posted to discuss what classes shall DOTA like online game to register their trademarks several days ago. In a country like China where the infringement is not rare, it’s suggested to apply the trademark in relevant classes as many as possible, and today we would like to discuss the way to make the strategy on trademark and the advantages and disadvantages of the full-class registration of trademarks.

I. The full registration of trademarks is suggested for the current condition in China

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DOTA: Which Trademark Classes Shall Apply for Online Game in China?

By Albert Chen

By the local news report in China, at the settlement of the dispute between Blizzard and Valve on the DOTA trademark (Please CLICK HERE for our past post on it), a new battle over “DOTA” has begun. A local registered company in Shandong Province in East China recently lettered to online shopping website like Taobao.com, claiming it has full right to use the trademark of “DOTA” in class 25, which covering clothes, shoes and hats. Also, the company presented the certificate to the trademark right with the letter. Therefore, the company accused the websites the infringement for selling the clothes with DOTA marked on it. For the news, we retrieved the database of Trademark Office of PRC, and by the check, the trademark does belong to Wang Yongbao, the name indicated on the certificate, while it remains unknown through which methods does the company get the license to use the trademark from Wang. Meanwhile, it also comes to our attention that, in addition to Wang, the trademark of DOTA has been registered under other individuals or units’ name in different classes, involving Zheng Miao in Class6 and Ningbo Jiangbei District Dong Tai Clothing Co., Ltd., in Class 26, etc.

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Why Starbucks Lost in Trademark Objection Adjudication in China?

According to the news from local media in China, Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) recently filed a lawsuit against the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board (the “Board”), for it was refused by the Board for the application of the review of 沙巴克 (which is similar to the Chinese translation of Starbucks 星巴克 in Chinese) trademark application on mineral water products(沙巴克is similar to the translation of Starbucks 星巴克 in Chinese). 沙巴克 was applied by an individual  on 16th July of 2003 on the mineral water beverage, which in Starbucks Corporation’s opinion shall constitute the similarity of identity of its local trademark of 星巴克, and therefore, Starbucks Corporation filed a trademark review to the Board and also applied a official establishment of the well-known trademark of 星巴克 in the field of Café, Café operation & service and coffee beverage.(the image above is the Starbucks café and the poster of the World of Legend)

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Apple Lost the Trademark Opposition against Red Apple Trademark after the Proceeding for 10 Years

According to the report of hc360.com (the news is in Chinese), Beijing High People’s Court adjudicated the final judgment on the trademark opposition filed by Apple Inc (Apple) against Zhejiang Red Apple Electronic Co., Ltd. (Zhejiang Red Apple) on 28th November, 2011, Ltd, rejecting Apple’s opposition on the defendant’s registered trademark in class 9 of CCTV monitor. Till then the proceeding of the case for 10 years is finally ended up.

Early in November of 2002, Zhejiang Red Apple’s application of red apple trademark was approved by China Trademark Office, and afterwards opposed by Apple, who demanded no approval for the mark, for the similarity between the red apple image and the first applied Apple trademark. Despite the opposition, the trademark office approved the application and issued the “Image Trademark Opposition Ajudication”, (2007) Trademark Yi Zi No. 3887 on 27th August, 2007.

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The Easy Way to Reduce the Cost of International Trademark Application

—on the Madrid trademark registration in China

Highlight: the essay focuses on the advantage of the Madrid International Registration of Trademark and its application in China.

Recently, the symposiums on the effective trademark registration in Madrid System have been held by WIPO in several cities in China (related news 1 & 2). The System could provide the applicant, including the foreign investors in China, a cost effective and efficient way for trademark registration. Bridge IP Commentary today will show you the way to file the application under the system in China.

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The Actual Term of Trademark Registration in China

The brief introduction on the registration process of trademark in China

Bridge IP Law Commentary is frequently asked to introduce the process of the trademark application in China and the time it may take. Actually, the trademark registration is a harsh job here 5 years ago, for the administrative examination and approval could take as long as 3 years due to the imbalance between the rocketing applicaton amount and the low efficiencty of the trademark office in China. Luckily, it has been greatly improved, and 10 months is enough for going through the process. Today, Bridge IP Law Commentary will introduce you the standard process of the China trademark registration:

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Can Apple Register iMessage trademark in China?

HIGHLIGHTS: Apple recently applied trademark registration for its “iMessage” in U.S., and no doubt such registration will also be conducted in China soon. Bridge IP Commentary will analyse the prospect for such registration in China and also introduce the related local trademark laws and regulations. 

It is reported that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) filed three different trademark applications for “iMessage” with the USPTO recently. iMessage is Apple’s newly developed instant messaging software basing on mobile internet devices.

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How to improve the success rate of trademark registration in China?

Highlight: Foreign companies should ask the Chinese trademark agency to take trademark retrieval and give advice of feasibility of the trademark keyword before applying the trademark.

The most frequently consulted question by foreign companies to us is that what measures could be taken when trademark application is refused in China.

    In accordance with our experiences, it is more difficult to get the trademark that has been refused approved, however, under most circumstances, the basic success rate for trademark application can be known through the prior trademark retrieval service. For the avoidance of any influence on company’s brand strategy from application failure, alternative names or together-applied backup names are suggested to those trademarks difficult to apply.

The rejection of trademark application may cause large losses and damages to enterprises’ brand strategy. Generally, the company tends to schedule the brand strategy, including brand positioning, advertisement and protection before unveiling the product. However, it may cost 1 to 1.5 years from application to registration or rejection due to administrative refusal, which may challenge the brand strategy of the company shall the company was unprepared.

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