International Law

This Is Not What They Teach You In IP School

By Stan

Beijing-based intellectual property rights agent Guang Li Xin has been ordered to pay RMB 100,000 to competitor Ji Jia Company by the Beijing Dongcheng District People’s Court for unfair competition in Google China keyword search ads, reports Beijing Business Today.

Ji Jia discovered in March 2008 that Guang Li Xin had purchased Google China’s “Ji Jia” keyword, and that the colors, images and format on the Guang Li Xin website were similar to the Ji Jia site, said the report. The court has also asked Guang Li Xin to alter its website content and apologize publicly, said the report. (JLM)

Intellectual property is a strange area of the law. It can be technical, detailed, full of weird rules that are hard to follow. It is not surprising that most members of the public do not know the difference between a copyright and a trademark. Many lawyers out there know the basics only.

So hey, it’s tough to know what is permissible or not in the industry. Things change, often rapidly when you’re dealing with an area that involves new technology and cutting-edge legal theories.

So perhaps we should cut this IP agency a little slack?
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Full post as published by China Hearsay on August 18, 2009 (boomark / email).