Facebook在中國打贏商標官司
中國消費者沒法再用“face book”來提神解渴了,因為Facebook罕見地贏了一場對中國公司的商標權官司。 與之相反,蘋果公司上個月則未能阻止一家中國公司在皮具上使用“IPHONE”商標。 有律師指出,外界經常認為中國的知識產權保護相當松懈,但這種情況正在穩(wěn)步改善。贏得這場官司或許給Facebook進入中國帶來了一絲希望。目前在中國還上不了這個社交網絡,它的中國業(yè)務也以為中國企業(yè)在海外打廣告為主。 北京市高級人民法院裁定,中山市珠江飲料廠2011年為部分食品飲料產品申請“face book”商標顯然是山寨行為,而且有損于市場公平競爭。 Facebook女發(fā)言人拒絕就此發(fā)表評論。珠江飲料廠一位員工透露,這場官司在該廠并不廣為人知。我們尚未和珠江飲料廠負責人取得聯系。 Facebook首席執(zhí)行官馬克?扎克伯格及其他高管一直在協(xié)力爭取中國政府的支持。今年3月,中共中央政治局常委、中央書記處書記劉云山罕見地會見了扎克伯格,這表明Facebook和中國政府的關系正在升溫。 扎克伯格頻繁在中國刷頭條。用中文發(fā)表演講,曬出霧霾中在天安門廣場跑步的照片,這些舉動讓他在中國出了名。 Facebook此前曾兩次向中國工商總局商標評審委員會提出申訴,但均未成功,遂決定通過法律途徑解決此次商標糾紛。(財富中文網) 譯者:Charlie 審校:詹妮 |
Chinese people won’t be able to quench their thirst with a refreshing “face book” beverage, after the U.S. social networking company won a rare trademark victory against a local firm in China. By contrast, Apple AAPL 0.08% last month lost its battle to prevent a domestic company from using the “iPhone” trademark on leather goods in China. China’s intellectual property protections are often perceived as quite lax but they are steadily improving, lawyers say. The victory may offer a glimmer of hope for Facebook FB -0.21% in China, where its social network is not accessible and its business is mainly selling overseas advertising for Chinese companies. The Beijing Municipal High People’s Court said the Zhongshan Pearl River Drinks application, filed in 2011, to label certain foods and beverages “face book” was an obvious act of copying and harmed fair market competition. A Facebook spokeswoman declined to comment. An employee at Pearl River Drinks said the case was not widely known at the company and that the staff member in charge of it was not available for comment. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other executives have made concerted efforts to woo Chinese officials. In March, Zuckerberg had a rare meeting with the country’s propaganda tsar, a suggestion of warming relations between Facebook and the government. Zuckerberg frequently makes headlines in China, where he has achieved celebrity status by making speeches in Mandarin and sharing pictures of runs through noxious smog in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Facebook had previously objected to China’s Trademark Review and Adjudication Board twice but was unsuccessful, prompting its decision to take the case to court. |