China Regulates Use of Trademarks

China is considering elimination of trademarks that copy names of well-known brands or figures in a bid to curb right infringement.

The courts will uphold the Patent Review Committee's decision to nullify trademarks that are the same or similar to well-known places and trademarks already in use, according to a judicial interpretation released on Wednesday by the Supreme People's Court to solicit public opinion.

The courts will also reject individual applications for a large number of trademarks, said the document, which is also aimed at unifying trial standards for the courts when dealing with trademark disputes.

The behavior of using public figure's names as trademarks without their permission can not be allowed, so is the behavior of using the names of the dead without getting approval from their inheritors.

Trademarks that are the same with or similar to the Chinese name of China will also be banned, and those including the nation name will also not get approved if their registration may lead to "abuse of the national name," it said.