Nike wins fight against Chinese counterfeit goods

Nike recently filed for customs seizure of some Chinese counterfeit goods that were infringing on their “Air Max” brand.

According to Jiaquan IP Law, the goods in question were described as “leisure shoes” and were discovered during a routine inspection of goods to be exported  by customs officers at Xiamen Port. The officers found 1,872 pairs of shoes that were branded with the logo “Atr Max”, a name that is remarkably similar to Nike’s “Air Max” trademark.

Nike was immediately notified by Xiamen Customs and confirmed the case of infringement by Quanzhou Trading Company.

This successful case of  Custom IP enforcement is an encouraging sign for western companies that are struggling to take hold and protect their brands in China. Although there have been a few small victories for companies such as Facebook, western businesses in general have been having less success in trademark cases than expected in recent times. Apple recently lost a battle for the trademark “iPhone” to a chinese handbag company.  

The best way to protect your company’s reputation, brand value and profits in today’s global marketplace is by registering a trademark and gaining trademark enforcement rights. Although it is not always possible to achieve this quickly in some countries like China, your company should still aim to file for a trademark application as early as possible to reduce the likelihood of future conflicts with other similar brands. However, just having the trademark is not enough. Like Nike, you would also need to police your market for potential infringements and then be prepared to act on them when they do arise.

For advice and more information on searching, acquiring, registering and enforcing Trademarks please visit our website, http://www.lipex.com. Our unique database of trademarks for sale or license could save you time and help protect your brand.