Chinese copycat “MUJI” beats the genuine one down, demanding an apology and monetary compensation
(Editor’s Note: The copycat has been using the same layout, design and logo in the physical store “Natural Mill” after the lawsuit in 2018. Muji has released its apology statement after the Final Appeal. Muji can no longer use “無印良品” in its logo as it now officially owned by the copycat).
Famous Japanese brand MUJI was copycatted in Mainland China and even blamed for infringing the trademark of its copycat and lost the lawsuit. The Beijing Municipal High People’s Court made a final verdict recently, ordering Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. (mother company of MUJI) and Shanghai MUJI to stop infringing the exclusive trademark of “Beijing Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) held by Beijing Cottonfield Textile Corporation.
According to the verdict, MUJI is prohibited from displaying any logo of “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) in all textile products afterwards. Moreover, it ordered MUJI to publish a statement at the Tmall MUJI flagship online store and all the MUJI physical shops in China as an apology for its infringement. MUJI also needs to compensate for the financial loss of CNY500K and a “reasonable litigation fee” for CNY126K.
Japanese copyrighted MUJI has to compensate the copycat for CNY626K
The Paper reported, the story of misappropriation of the Japanese MUJI trademark dated back to 28 April 2001 when Hainan Nanhua Trading registered the trademark of “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品), on certain products including cotton, cushion cover, towel, bath towel, bedsheet, pillow cover, quilt and quilt cover etc. In 2004, the trademark was transferred to Beijing Cottonfield Textile which later invested in “Beijing Wuyinliangpin Company”, a company incorporated in 2011. Beijing Cottonfield Textile and Beijing Wuyinliangpin sued MUJI in 2015 started the litigation of infringement.
MUJI lost in litigation, on the word “MUJI” allowed to be displayed on textile products
The High People’s Court ruled that the respondent’s logo printed on its bath towel, towel and bathing cushion products infringes the plaintiff’s exclusive right of the trademark.
It was all about the copycat had registered the trademark in China earlier than MUJI. The Judiciary had made a verdict last year ruling MUJI’s lost. Ryohin Keikaku and Shanghai MUJI then filed an appeal to the High People’s Court in December last year, and the higher court recently dismissed the appeal and re-affirmed the lower court’s verdict.
Copycat forestalled copyrighted, MUJI got no way out
Ryohin Keikaku said in a statement, Shanghai MUJI are not allowed to use the Chinese trademark on towels, bath towesl, bedsheets and certain textile products in China because another company had registered the trademark. It also stated that it had already rectified the trademark on its products. MUJI was found infringing the trademark in 2014 and 2015.
This is a complicated dispute over the trademark of “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) between China and Japan. Apart from products trademark, Beijing Cottonfield Textile had also opened some physical shops in China named “Wuyinliangpin Natural Mill” (無印良品 Natural Mill), which .
It opined that the Hainan Nanhua Trading had designed a plant-dyed towel in 1990s and, by such non-artificial dyeing technique, thereby sought to the corporate value of “excellent quality”. At that time there was a popular Malaysian Mandarin musical ensemble named “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) and thus Hainan Nanhua Trading branded that towel in that name. Beijing Cottonfield Textile commented that the establishment of the brand was completely unrelated to the Japanese MUJI.
Nowadays, there are 30 shops in China using the trademark of “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) displaying white characters on red, permitted by Beijing Cottonfield Textile and Beijing Wuyinliangpin. Most of them are selling textile products with wood art and colorful painting.
#WithChineseCharacteristics #Piracy #MUJI
https://bit.ly/2tA4aHb
(Editor’s Note: The copycat has been using the same layout, design and logo in the physical store “Natural Mill” after the lawsuit in 2018. Muji has released its apology statement after the Final Appeal. Muji can no longer use “無印良品” in its logo as it now officially owned by the copycat).
Famous Japanese brand MUJI was copycatted in Mainland China and even blamed for infringing the trademark of its copycat and lost the lawsuit. The Beijing Municipal High People’s Court made a final verdict recently, ordering Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. (mother company of MUJI) and Shanghai MUJI to stop infringing the exclusive trademark of “Beijing Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) held by Beijing Cottonfield Textile Corporation.
According to the verdict, MUJI is prohibited from displaying any logo of “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) in all textile products afterwards. Moreover, it ordered MUJI to publish a statement at the Tmall MUJI flagship online store and all the MUJI physical shops in China as an apology for its infringement. MUJI also needs to compensate for the financial loss of CNY500K and a “reasonable litigation fee” for CNY126K.
Japanese copyrighted MUJI has to compensate the copycat for CNY626K
The Paper reported, the story of misappropriation of the Japanese MUJI trademark dated back to 28 April 2001 when Hainan Nanhua Trading registered the trademark of “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品), on certain products including cotton, cushion cover, towel, bath towel, bedsheet, pillow cover, quilt and quilt cover etc. In 2004, the trademark was transferred to Beijing Cottonfield Textile which later invested in “Beijing Wuyinliangpin Company”, a company incorporated in 2011. Beijing Cottonfield Textile and Beijing Wuyinliangpin sued MUJI in 2015 started the litigation of infringement.
MUJI lost in litigation, on the word “MUJI” allowed to be displayed on textile products
The High People’s Court ruled that the respondent’s logo printed on its bath towel, towel and bathing cushion products infringes the plaintiff’s exclusive right of the trademark.
It was all about the copycat had registered the trademark in China earlier than MUJI. The Judiciary had made a verdict last year ruling MUJI’s lost. Ryohin Keikaku and Shanghai MUJI then filed an appeal to the High People’s Court in December last year, and the higher court recently dismissed the appeal and re-affirmed the lower court’s verdict.
Copycat forestalled copyrighted, MUJI got no way out
Ryohin Keikaku said in a statement, Shanghai MUJI are not allowed to use the Chinese trademark on towels, bath towesl, bedsheets and certain textile products in China because another company had registered the trademark. It also stated that it had already rectified the trademark on its products. MUJI was found infringing the trademark in 2014 and 2015.
This is a complicated dispute over the trademark of “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) between China and Japan. Apart from products trademark, Beijing Cottonfield Textile had also opened some physical shops in China named “Wuyinliangpin Natural Mill” (無印良品 Natural Mill), which .
It opined that the Hainan Nanhua Trading had designed a plant-dyed towel in 1990s and, by such non-artificial dyeing technique, thereby sought to the corporate value of “excellent quality”. At that time there was a popular Malaysian Mandarin musical ensemble named “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) and thus Hainan Nanhua Trading branded that towel in that name. Beijing Cottonfield Textile commented that the establishment of the brand was completely unrelated to the Japanese MUJI.
Nowadays, there are 30 shops in China using the trademark of “Wuyinliangpin” (無印良品) displaying white characters on red, permitted by Beijing Cottonfield Textile and Beijing Wuyinliangpin. Most of them are selling textile products with wood art and colorful painting.
#WithChineseCharacteristics #Piracy #MUJI
https://bit.ly/2tA4aHb
Hket
中國山寨「無印良品」終極勝訴 正版MUJI要賠款道歉 - 香港經濟日報 - 中國頻道 - 經濟脈搏
日本無印良品在中國內地被「山寨」後，再被指侵犯商標權，結果正版不敵翻版而敗訴。北京市高級法院近日作出終審判決，下令日本無印良品的母公司株式會社良品計劃、上海無印良品，立即停止侵犯中國企業棉田公司、北京
Chinese public figures ditch western brands as Xinjiang row escalates
Chinese celebrities and politicians were racing to distance themselves from western brands as Beijing stepped up a campaign to penalise those making accusations of abuses in Xinjiang, including fashion companies that boycott the region’s cotton.
Burberry was one high-profile target, as the award-winning actor Zhou Dongyu ended her “brand ambassador” role, the company’s hallmark tartan was scrubbed from a popular video game, and a Hong Kong lawmaker shared a widely mocked photograph of herself staring mournfully at a trio of scarves she promised not to wear again.
Some brands including Muji and Fila responded to the boycotts by underlining their commitment to using cotton from Xinjiang, a reminder of China’s importance as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for fashion.
Source: The Guardian #Mar26
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/26/chinese-actor-quits-as-burberry-ambassador-as-xinjiang-cotton-row-escalates?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
#China #XinjiangCotton #Xinjiang #Burberry #Muji #Fila
Chinese celebrities and politicians were racing to distance themselves from western brands as Beijing stepped up a campaign to penalise those making accusations of abuses in Xinjiang, including fashion companies that boycott the region’s cotton.
Burberry was one high-profile target, as the award-winning actor Zhou Dongyu ended her “brand ambassador” role, the company’s hallmark tartan was scrubbed from a popular video game, and a Hong Kong lawmaker shared a widely mocked photograph of herself staring mournfully at a trio of scarves she promised not to wear again.
Some brands including Muji and Fila responded to the boycotts by underlining their commitment to using cotton from Xinjiang, a reminder of China’s importance as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for fashion.
Source: The Guardian #Mar26
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/26/chinese-actor-quits-as-burberry-ambassador-as-xinjiang-cotton-row-escalates?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
#China #XinjiangCotton #Xinjiang #Burberry #Muji #Fila
the Guardian
Chinese public figures ditch western brands as Xinjiang row escalates
Burberry and H&M among brands targeted over stance on region at centre of Uighur abuses allegations
#XinjiangCotton
Shares in Parent Company Drop as #Muji Features Xinjiang Cotton
Source: Nikkei Asia; Liberty Times News #Mar25
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
Shares in Parent Company Drop as #Muji Features Xinjiang Cotton
Source: Nikkei Asia; Liberty Times News #Mar25
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
#XinjiangCotton
Shares in Parent Company Drop as #Muji Features Xinjiang Cotton
Mutiple international brands have boycotted Xinjiang cotton exported by China due to reported forced labour and human rights violation by the Chinese Government.
Japanese brand #Muji, however, continues to feature the "Xinjiang Cotton" shirt collection under the "new products" section of their China website, as of March 25, 2021.
Muji's reaction was seen as an attempt to avoid from being targeted by Chinese netizens' call for boycotting foreign brands that refused to use Xinjiang cotton.
Nevertheless, Muji's parent company #RyohinKeikaku has seen its shares fall 6.8% on the morning of March 25, in Tokyo. According to Nikkei Asia. This suggests that "investors fear the company could be affected by the fallout".
Source: Nikkei Asia; Liberty Times News #Mar25
http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Retail/Muji-features-Xinjiang-cotton-as-Chinese-netizens-lash-its-rivals
https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/3479967
#Kowtow #CCPRules #Ugyhurs
Shares in Parent Company Drop as #Muji Features Xinjiang Cotton
Mutiple international brands have boycotted Xinjiang cotton exported by China due to reported forced labour and human rights violation by the Chinese Government.
Japanese brand #Muji, however, continues to feature the "Xinjiang Cotton" shirt collection under the "new products" section of their China website, as of March 25, 2021.
Muji's reaction was seen as an attempt to avoid from being targeted by Chinese netizens' call for boycotting foreign brands that refused to use Xinjiang cotton.
Nevertheless, Muji's parent company #RyohinKeikaku has seen its shares fall 6.8% on the morning of March 25, in Tokyo. According to Nikkei Asia. This suggests that "investors fear the company could be affected by the fallout".
Source: Nikkei Asia; Liberty Times News #Mar25
http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Retail/Muji-features-Xinjiang-cotton-as-Chinese-netizens-lash-its-rivals
https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/3479967
#Kowtow #CCPRules #Ugyhurs
Nikkei Asia
Muji features Xinjiang cotton as Chinese netizens lash its rivals
Japanese clothing retailer's move comes amid calls to boycott foreign brands
Muji Operator Shares Tumble as Brand Seen at Risk of China Boycott
Japanese brands Muji and Uniqlo are embroiled in the escalating controversy over cotton sourced from China’s Xinjiang region. Shares of Muji operator tumble nearly 7% in Tokyo trade. Als, several Chinese celebrities say they will cut ties with Uniqlo.
Shares in Ryohin Keikaku, which is the operator of the Muji chain of minimalist furniture and lifestyle
Stores and advertises items using Xinjiang cotton, fell as much as 6.8% in Tokyo, the most since July. It said it had vetted its supply chain and would continue to monitor compliance with law.
Source: Bloomberg #Mar26
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-26/muji-operator-tumbles-as-brand-seen-at-risk-of-china-boycott
#HM #Muji #Uniqlo #XinjiangCotton #Xinjiang #ChinaGenocide
Japanese brands Muji and Uniqlo are embroiled in the escalating controversy over cotton sourced from China’s Xinjiang region. Shares of Muji operator tumble nearly 7% in Tokyo trade. Als, several Chinese celebrities say they will cut ties with Uniqlo.
Shares in Ryohin Keikaku, which is the operator of the Muji chain of minimalist furniture and lifestyle
Stores and advertises items using Xinjiang cotton, fell as much as 6.8% in Tokyo, the most since July. It said it had vetted its supply chain and would continue to monitor compliance with law.
Source: Bloomberg #Mar26
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-26/muji-operator-tumbles-as-brand-seen-at-risk-of-china-boycott
#HM #Muji #Uniqlo #XinjiangCotton #Xinjiang #ChinaGenocide