Ralph Lauren wins lawsuit against trademark infringement in China

SHANGHAI, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S.-based global fashion brand Ralph Lauren has prevailed in court in a series of trademark infringement cases adjudicated by the Shanghai Intellectual Property (IP) Court, marking China's latest progress in IP right protection, Ralph Lauren China said on Tuesday.

The cases were brought against Shanghai Ruifa Apparel Co., Ltd. and Qingyuan Huahao Zhibai Leather Goods and Apparel Co., Ltd., two major licensees of Guangzhou Aichi Leather Goods Co., Ltd.

The court's rulings recognized Ralph Lauren's trademarks including "POLO," "POLO BY RALPH LAUREN" and "POLO RALPH LAUREN" as highly influential within the industry and among Chinese consumers. Based on the facts, the court concluded that the unauthorized use of the marks by the defendants was likely to mislead the public regarding the origin of the goods and falsely suggest an association between the defendants and the registered trademarks of Ralph Lauren, according to the court judgment.

The court has asked the defendants to immediately cease all infringing activities, including halting the use of trademarks identical or similar to those of Ralph Lauren, discontinuing the sale of products bearing such trademarks, and removing these trademarks from storefront signs, interior decorations and product packaging.

The Chinese companies were ordered to pay a total of 20 million yuan (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars) in compensation to Ralph Lauren, far exceeding the statutory compensation limit, making it one of the cases with the highest compensation awarded in Chinese trademark infringement cases.

Ralph Lauren welcomes the ruling and is encouraged by the Chinese government's commitment and resolve to protect IP rights and ensure a fair operating environment for all companies in China, according to the company's latest press release.

China has taken proactive measures to address the IP concerns and demands of enterprises, ensuring equal protection for both domestic and foreign innovators, according to the China National Intellectual Property Administration.

From January to October this year, China authorized 92,000 foreign invention patents, a year-on-year increase of 5.3 percent. The registration of foreign trademarks in the country climbed to 121,000, up 13.1 percent compared to the previous year. ■