In what lawyers are calling the largest award to a foreign company in a trademark dispute in China, a Chinese court has ordered local shoemakers to pay New Balance Athletics Inc. $1.5 million in damages and legal costs.
Does this decision mean IP strategies in China will change for the Boston-based company? Daniel McKinnon, senior counsel for IP and global brand protection at New Balance, said “not really,” though it does offer an encouraging sign that counterfeiters in China may now have to factor more risk into their business models.
