Het hogere gerechtshof van Beijing (China) heeft eerder dit jaar (22 juli 2017) uitspraak gedaan dat het LEGO logo en de naam LEGO in het Chinees erkend als een bekend trademark. Deze erkenning is een belangrijke stap in het beter beschermen van het LEGO trademark in China. Dit betekent onder andere dat The LEGO Group beter in staat is om op te treden tegen schending van het trademark (lees, namaak-LEGO)
Peter Thorslund Kjær, vice president Legal Affairs van LEGO zei hierover:” Deze uitspraak is erg belangrijk voor LEGO. Het geeft aan dat we goed geïnvesteerd hebben in marketing van LEGO en LEGO producten in China, en dat de Chinese consument ons merk (h)erkent. Hiermee voorkomen we in de toekomst dat Chinese consumenten misleid worden als ze een LEGO logo (of iets dat er op lijkt) zien. We kunnen nu beter optreden tegen schending van ons trademark en namaak van onze producten.”
Het origineel persbericht lees je hieronder:
[Billund, Denmark November 1, 2017] The Beijing Higher Court passed a ruling earlier this year [July 22, 2017] that recognises the LEGO® logo and the LEGO name in Chinese as ’well-known’ trademarks in China. The well-known trademark recognition is an important milestone in getting broader protection for LEGO trademarks in China. This means that the LEGO Group is now in a better position to act against infringement of LEGO trademarks also outside the toy category.Peter Thorslund Kjær, Vice President, Legal Affairs in the LEGO Group, said: “The ruling by the Beijing Higher Court is very important for the LEGO Group. It reflects the significant effort and investment put into marketing the LEGO brand and products towards the Chinese consumers, and it further reduces the risk that consumers in China are misled when they see the LEGO logo or the LEGO name in future. We are now in a better legal position acting against infringement of LEGO trademarks and defending our trademark portfolio.
“We see this as a recognition of our status in China as a known and loved brand by parents and children, and we appreciate the support from the Chinese government and authorities to ensure the continued protection of millions of Chinese consumers as well as our unique trademark and logo.”
The LEGO Group actively protects its trademarks globally and each year brings relevant cases to courts to ensure that consumers can always trust that a product carrying the LEGO logo or featuring the characteristic LEGO design is genuine. “Since 1932 the LEGO name and the LEGO logo have been a guarantee of the highest safety and quality standards. We are committed to doing what it takes to protect children and assure parents that when a product features a LEGO logo it will offer the best quality, as well as be great fun to play with. We will continue to take action globally when we see attempts to mislead consumers and infringement of our trademarks and copyrights,” said Thorslund Kjær.
