December 2018. Chinese clothing company Danhuoli has been ordered to pay UK-based Alfred Dunhill 1.47 million dollars following a judgement issued on 10 October by the Chinese District Court in Foshan, Guangdong province.

Foto: sg.news.yahoo

Infringement

The court concluded that Danhuoli’s logo infringed the trademark rights of Dunhill’s world-famous ‘long tail’ logo, which isn’t only used as a trademark for cigarettes but also for a broad range of luxury goods, including clothing.

Good news for established brands

Well-known Western brands are often attacked by Chinese hijackers. Even when it’s obvious an established brand has been pilfered, it’s frequently difficult to take action against the infringement. Adidas and McDonald’s are two cases in point. So the Dunhill judgement can be seen as a major boost for famous trademarks.

Adidas spent five years in a fruitless struggle against Adivon; the dispute was finally settled in 2013

McDonald’s similarly had a hard time with the Wonderful restaurant chain in China