On the morning of April 16, a trial session was held on the public day at SIPC, which aimed to further strengthen legal protection of intellectual property rights and promote the “Four Brands” in Shanghai. Representatives of nearly 40 member companies organized by Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce went to SIPC to hear a trial on trademark infringement and unfair competition concerning the well-known brand “BOBDOG,” and talked with the judges after the hearing. The presiding judge was Li Shulan, Vice President of SIPC. After fully hearing the statements made by the appellant and the respondent, investigations and debates were carried out on the collegiate bench, focusing on matters such as whether Guangzhou BOBDOGHOUSE had infringed the exclusive right of BOBDOG China to registered trademarks, and whether Guangzhou BOBDOGHOUSE’s registration and use of the company name which contains “BOBDOG” constitutes an unfair competition against BOBDOG China. The trial lasted more than two hours and the case will be decided at a later date after deliberation by the collegiate bench. SIPC chose to hold a public hearing on such a typical case on trademark infringement and unfair competition, which made the audience feel they were watching the “live streaming” of the trial. It was also such an impressive and informative lecture to the representatives of the enterprises present. After the adjournment, Judge Wu Yingzhe explained, based on the trial, the legal issues involved in the case, such as the determination criteria for trademark infringement, and the determination of unauthorized use of other famous companies’ names (including abbreviations, font size, etc.) under the anti-unfair competition law. SIPC will give full play to the leading role of judicial protection of intellectual property rights, actively extend judicial functions, follow the principle of “who enforces the law should popularize it,” and provide strong judicial protection for Shanghai to build the “Four Brands” and create a first-class business environment.
