Japan manga publisher sues 3 Chinese firms
By Zhao Wen |
February 16, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A Japanese publishing company has launched a lawsuit against three Chinese companies, accusing them of illegally using the name and image of the popular Japanese manga "Crayon Shin-chan," the Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court said yesterday.
The plaintiff, Futabasha Publishers Ltd, demanded compensation of more than 1.6 million yuan (US$254,031) from the three defendants.
Futabasha said it has exclusive copyright, publishing rights and merchandising rights of "Crayon Shin-chan." The Japanese company found in 2004 that Shanghai Enjia Economic and Trade Co was selling products bearing the Chinese name and images of the manga.
Shanghai Enjia said it bought the rights to the manga's name and images from the two other defendants, Guangzhou Chenyi Optical Co and Jiangsu Province-based Shifu Economic Development Co, which were both absent from the court yesterday.
The court heard that Guangzhou Chenyi successfully registered the "Crayon Shin-chan" trademarks, including its Chinese name and image, on the mainland in December 1997. Futabasha appealed to the Trademark Appeal Board in China in January 2005, asking the board to withdraw the trademark that Guangzhou Chenyi had registered.
The board rejected Futabasha's appeal, saying it came too late given the five-year appeal limit for trademarks.
"This is not a copyright-infringement case," said the defending lawyer of Shanghai Enjia. "The disputes lie in the conflicts between trademarks and intellectual rights."
The plaintiff, Futabasha Publishers Ltd, demanded compensation of more than 1.6 million yuan (US$254,031) from the three defendants.
Futabasha said it has exclusive copyright, publishing rights and merchandising rights of "Crayon Shin-chan." The Japanese company found in 2004 that Shanghai Enjia Economic and Trade Co was selling products bearing the Chinese name and images of the manga.
Shanghai Enjia said it bought the rights to the manga's name and images from the two other defendants, Guangzhou Chenyi Optical Co and Jiangsu Province-based Shifu Economic Development Co, which were both absent from the court yesterday.
The court heard that Guangzhou Chenyi successfully registered the "Crayon Shin-chan" trademarks, including its Chinese name and image, on the mainland in December 1997. Futabasha appealed to the Trademark Appeal Board in China in January 2005, asking the board to withdraw the trademark that Guangzhou Chenyi had registered.
The board rejected Futabasha's appeal, saying it came too late given the five-year appeal limit for trademarks.
"This is not a copyright-infringement case," said the defending lawyer of Shanghai Enjia. "The disputes lie in the conflicts between trademarks and intellectual rights."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
