Chinese Trademark Registration Maliciously Outflanked on Designation of Cultivation Areas of 13 Famous Taiwanese Agricultural Products.

According to the survey conducted by the Council of Agriculture, other than the geographical designations of celebrated Taiwanese tea cultivation areas (including Li Shan, Xi Tou, Shan Lin Xi, Sun Moon Lake, Ali Shan and Jade Mountain), the geographical designation of the cultivation areas of 13 famous Taiwanese agricultural products have been outflanked for registration in China as well by trademark squatters.  Even Rui Sui (Chinese: 瑞穗), the Chinese designation of President Group’s well-received milk product is now a registered trademark owned by someone else in China.

According to the Council of Agriculture, the PRC Trademark Act provides that geographical designations of cultivation areas at the county level or above are not registrable.  By filing the geographical designations of famous Taiwanese agriculture products cultivation areas, the trademark squatters are actually taking advantage of the loophole in the law at the cost of the worldwide marketing and distribution of the famous Taiwanese agricultural products concerned.  (2006.04)

/EMA