Lessons from Donald Trump and Michael Jordan on the dos and don’ts of trademarks in China
Despite having no business interests in the country, Trump has registered more than 100 trademarks early and in a wide variety of fields, allowing him to avoid the kinds of problems that basketball player Michael Jordan and others have faced
Basketball star Michael Jordan is having trouble with it, as has Apple in the past. But Donald Trump has not.
Trademark and intellectual property protection in China has been a thorny issue for foreign companies and brands in recent years, and has particularly raised the hackles of US politicians, who have publicly berated China on the issue. Last month the US formally began an investigation into what it said was China’s theft of US intellectual property.
But as China begins a four-month campaign to protect the intellectual property rights of foreign businesses, hopes have been raised that foreign firms will get fair treatment when facing rights disputes.
In the meantime, lawyers said, companies can take measures of their own to give themselves as much protection as possible.
“The best way for a foreign firm to win or avoid a trademark dispute is to register its brands as soon as possible even before it has plans to enter the China market,” said Jiang Fengtao, partner at the Beijing-based Heng Du Law Firm.
