Chinese Anti-Dilution Law: Are You Sufficiently Confused?

From Ferrari’s loss to Levi’s victory in their trademark lawsuits in China, one of the common elements, as I see it, is the confusion about the Chinese law on trademark dilution. Maybe it is the Paris Convention and TRIPS Agreement in connection with the Chinese Trademark Law that caused the bewilderment. Once you see the interplay among the three, Chinese anti-dilution law will look pretty clear.

First, dilution goes hand in hand with famous or well-known trademarks. The basic purpose behind anti-dilution is to prevent “free ride” by some of famous trademarks, either nationally or internationally. For example, without anti-dilution law, someone can just take the “Coca Cola” mark and use it to market his/her cars, cigarettes, or clothes simple because of consumer’s identification with the famous brand. Over a certain period of time, the fear is that, without restraining, such use of a mark will dilute its ability to assist consumers in identifying products with their sources.

The Paris Convention is an international treaty that protects intellectual properties. Member countries are supposed to protect a famous trademark of another country. Article 6bis provides that if the legislation of a member allows, such country should prevent a well-known mark of a member country (registered or unregistered) from being used in such a way that “constitutes a reproduction, an imitation, or a translation, liable to create confusion”. It further states that protection of the subject trademark is limited to its being used for identical or similar goods.

TRIPS Agreement expands protection of famous trademarks in two ways. First, the Paris Convention Article 6bis protection applies also to service marks. Secondly, it applies to prohibit the use of a registered famous trademark from being used in another country in dissimilar goods and services.

Article 16
3. Article 6bis of the Paris Convention (1967) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to goods or services which are not similar to those in respect of which a trademark is registered, provided that use of that trademark in relation to those goods or services would indicate a connection between those goods or services and the owner of the
registered trademark and provided that the interests of the owner of the registered trademark are likely to be damaged by such use.

China is signatory to both treaties, and the Chinese Trademark Law (2001) reflects China’s identification with its obligations under the two treaties. Article 13 prevents anyone from using a registered well-known trademark in China for either similar or dissimilar goods or services.

Article 13 Where a trademark in respect of which the application for registration is filed for use for identical or similar goods is a reproduction, imitation or translation of another person's trademark not registered in China and likely to cause confusion, it shall be rejected for registration and prohibited from use. Where a trademark in respect of which the application for registration is filed for use for non-identical or dissimilar goods is a reproduction, imitation or translation of the well-known mark of another person that has been registered in China, misleads the pub1ic and is likely to create prejudice to the interests of the well-known mark registrant, it shall be rejected for registration and prohibited from use.

So, let’s put all of the above in the context of the Ferrari’s horse symbol case that I wrote about. It should make things look pretty clear.

Under the Paris Convention, the Ferrari horse symbol is not registered in China, and the alleged Chinese infringer tried to register the horse symbol for use in clothing, which is a dissimilar to Ferrari sports cars. The Chinese Trademark Law protects unregistered foreign trademarks only to the extent that it is being infringed for use in similar or like goods or services. Therefore, Ferrari's argument that its unregistered famous trademark enjoys protection beyond the automotible industry failed.

Under the TRIPS Agreement, the Ferrari horse symbol still does not get protection in China since it has not been registered as a famous trademark there.

A short lesson here: if you reckon your trademark is famous in your own country (either registered or unregistered), and you don’t want anyone in China to use your trademark in any goods or services, you must obtain a famous trademark registration with the Chinese Trademark Office in order to get protection.

Even more simply--no registration; no easy protection. If you do not believe me, go ask Ferrari.