Chinese Firms Ordered to Compensate Hennessy for Trademark Infringements

A Shanghai court has ordered two Chinese companies to pay a total of $37,000 to liquor maker Societe Jas Hennessy & Co. and stop selling products that violate its trademark. The court ruled that wines sold as "French cognac brandy" under the name "Hanlissy," or "Henglishi" in Chinese, were too similar to Hennessy's name and were intended to mislead consumers.

X

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.
A Shanghai court said Wednesday that it has ordered two Chinese companies to pay a total of 300,000 yuan, or $37,000, to liquor maker Societe Jas Hennessy & Co. and stop selling products that violate its trademark. The Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court ruled that wines marketed by Xiang Mu Tong Trading Co. and bottled by Xiamen Golden Huanya Food Co. under the name “Hanlissy,” or “Henglishi” in Chinese, were too similar to Hennessy’s name, registered as an international trademark in 1990, according to a report issued on the official Web site, www.chinacourt.org. The wine was sold as “French cognac brandy” in local supermarkets, although it was bottled in China, and the court ruled the Chinese companies had sought to mislead consumers, the report said. Societe Jas Hennessy & Co., a unit of French luxury goods maker LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, had sought 500,000 yuan ($62,000) in compensation from the Chinese companies, it said. A Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate court official, who refused to give her name, as do most Chinese officials, confirmed that the court handled the case but said all the information it could provide was in the report. Phone calls to Xiang Mu Tong’s office went unanswered Wednesday. A man who answered the phone at Xiamen Golden Huanya’s office said he had no comment. Foreign companies increasingly have turned to the courts to seek protection for their trademarks, patents and other intellectual property. However, piracy of foreign goods of all types remains rampant despite China’s repeated pledges to crack down on problem. Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.

Benefits of a Digital Membership:

  • Free access to 3 articles* every 30 days
  • Access to the entire ALM network of websites
  • Unlimited access to the ALM suite of newsletters
  • Build custom alerts on any search topic of your choosing
  • Search by a wide range of topics

*May exclude premium content
Already have an account?

Trending Stories

 

Featured Product

Global Briefing

A weekly, curated selection of our international content from around the globe, across the business of law, in-house, regulatory, technology and more, with expert insights from our senior editors.

Learn More

More from ALM

 

ALM Legal Publication Newsletters

Sign Up Today and Never Miss Another Story.

As part of your digital membership, you can sign up for an unlimited number of a wide range of complimentary newsletters. Visit your My Account page to make your selections. Get the timely legal news and critical analysis you cannot afford to miss. Tailored just for you. In your inbox. Every day.

Privacy Policy

About Us / Contact Us / Site Map / Advertise With Us/ Customer Service / Terms of Service/ FAQ / Privacy Policy

Publications

Law Topics

Rankings

More

Law.com

Copyright © 2020 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved.