Manolo Blahnik, a popular shoe brand has finally gained the rights to use their own name in China. The British company had taken numerous actions since 2000 against a Chinese businessman Fang Yuzhou for using the Manolo Bahnik name. Fang registered and started using the trademark ‘Manolo & Blahnik’ in 1999.
Now, almost two decades later the widely loved luxury show brand has finally regained its trademark rights.
The problem that many big brands face in China is that the Chinese system works on a first come first serve basis for registering trademarks.
Basketball star Michael Jordan also faced similar problems until 2016, when he won a trademark suit against a Chinese sportswear company Qiaodan Sports (Chinese version of Jordan – Qiaodan) for using the famous Jordan silhouette logo.
China has been engaging in a continuous attempt to deal with “bad faith” filings, which has led to many international brands reclaiming their intellectual property.
The decision by the Supreme People’s Court of China has pleased Manolo Blahnik and its founding family to a great extent as they have reclaimed their name.
The company now sells in China through third party e-commerce platforms such as Farfetch, it has plans into expanding into the Chinese mainland. The fact that it may now use its own rightfully owned trademark may provide a boost to their plans of expansion.