Case fileTrademark
Sanrio Co., Ltd. v. Putian Maomao Silversmith Jewelry Co., Ltd.
Sanrio won an invalidation at China’s trademark board against a jewelry maker’s cat-figure mark, on the strength of its prior copyright in Hello Kitty.
Sanrio Co., Ltd. (petitioner),
Plaintiff,
v.
Putian Maomao Silversmith Jewelry Co., Ltd. (registrant),
Defendant.
Docket No.商评字[2020]第0000216086号
CourtChina Trademark Review & Adjudication Board (TRAB)
StatusDecided
The record
- Court
- China Trademark Review & Adjudication Board (TRAB)
- Jurisdiction
- China
- Docket No.
- 商评字[2020]第0000216086号
- Resolved
- 2020
- Sanrio’s role
- Petitioner
- Type
- Trademark
- Claims
- Prior copyright and reputation of the Hello Kitty figure (2013 Trademark Law Arts. 30, 32)
- Counsel — plaintiff/petitioner
- not public
- Counsel — Sanrio side
- not public
What happened
Sanrio won an invalidation at China’s trademark board against a jewelry maker’s cat-figure mark, on the strength of its prior copyright in Hello Kitty.
Outcome
The disputed mark No. 12177491 (“MM猫猫银匠及图”) was declared invalid on 18 Aug 2020; Sanrio’s copyright and similarity arguments were upheld.
The legal nuance
Copyright in the character, not just the trademark, does the work here, a common Chinese strategy against look-alike figures.
Sources of record