China Justice Observer

中司观察

EnglishArabicChinese (Simplified)DutchFrenchGermanHindiItalianJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanishSwedishHebrewIndonesianVietnameseThaiTurkishMalay

China Releases Typical Cases of IPR Law Enforcement to Strengthen Protection of Olympic Symbols

Mon, 13 Jun 2022
Categories: China Legal Trends

On 21 Apr. 2022, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SMAR) released twenty typical cases involving IPR law enforcement.

These cases involve trademark infringement, patent counterfeiting, disturbing the order of trademark agency market by improper means, bad-faith applications for trademark registration, conducting patent agency business without licenses and other illegal acts.

Among them, two cases involve the protection of exclusive rights to Olympic symbols.

In these two cases, Nanjing Jianbo Protective Equipment Co., Ltd. sold masks with Olympic symbols without authorization, and Chongqing Fuling Zhacai Group Co., Ltd. published pictures containing the “Tokyo Olympics” on its social media platforms and websites without the authorization of the right holder of the Olympic symbols.

China’s law enforcement authorities believed that the aforementioned acts had infringed the exclusive rights of Olympic symbols, and the parties involved shall be imposed corresponding administrative penalties.

According to the “Regulations on the Protection of Olympic Symbols”, the five Olympic rings, Olympic flag, Olympic motto, Olympic emblem, Olympic anthem of the International Olympic Committee and exclusive expressions such as Olympic, Olympia, and Olympic Games and the abbreviations thereof are all Olympic symbols and are protected by law. No one may use Olympic symbols for commercial purposes without the authorization of the right holders of the Olympic symbols.

 

 

Cover Photo by Yingchih on Unsplash

Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team

Save as PDF

You might also like

China Enacts Landmark Private Economy Promotion Law

China enacted its landmark first Private Economy Promotion Law, effective May 20, 2025, to guarantee fair competition, streamline market access via a unified negative list, and bolster private enterprises through financing, innovation, and service support.

China Strengthens Criminal IP Protection with New Rules

In April 2025, China’s top court and procuratorate jointly issued a new judicial interpretation to clarify standards for handling criminal intellectual property infringement cases, aiming to strengthen IP protection, particularly in the service sector.

SPC’s 2024 Typical IP Cases Include AI Face-Swap Ruling

In April 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court released eight typical IP cases, highlighting judicial responses to emerging issues in AI, gaming, and biotech, including a landmark ruling on AI face-swapping copyright infringement.

China Eases Tax Refunds to Boost Inbound Tourist Spending

In 2025, China has lowered its departure tax refund threshold from 500 RMB to 200 RMB and doubled cash refund limits to 20,000 RMB while expanding eligible stores and streamlining processes, aiming to boost inbound tourism spending and promote Chinese products.

Chinese Courts Bolster Pregnant Workers' Rights Protection

In April 2025, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Supreme People's Court released typical labor dispute cases emphasizing stronger protection of pregnant employees' rights, including a case where unlawful job reassignment and salary reduction were ruled illegal.

China Revises Marriage Registration Regulation

China's revised marriage registration rules, effective May 2025, eliminate location restrictions, simplify procedures by removing hukou requirements, and align divorce processes with the Civil Code's cooling-off period.

China’s SPC Issues Foreign State Immunity Case Guidelines

In March 2025, China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) issued procedural guidelines for handling civil cases involving foreign state immunity, implementing the country's shift from absolute to restrictive immunity under the new Foreign State Immunity Law.