James Bond is involved in a courtroom battle with a renowned British firm for the title of China's condom king.
In the red corner is the Wuhan firm named James Bond, or Jissbon in Chinese, one of the top domestic producers, while in the blue corner the 70-year-old London International Latex Company, which makes Durex.
The London firm has accused Jissbon of copying its advertising and making false claims about its products. It is demanding an apology and five million yuan (HK$4.7 million) in compensation at the Beijing No 12 Intermediate People's Court, the Beijing Morning News reported yesterday.
At stake is top spot in one of the world's biggest condom markets, with annual sales of 1.7 billion pieces and forecasted to reach a value of more than 10 billion yuan. More mainlanders are now using condoms to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and meet the one-child policy.
The British firm is one of the world's biggest condom producers. It started selling in China in the early 1990s and at the end of the decade set up a factory in the eastern port city of Tsingdao.
During the trial, Durex lawyer claimed that James Bond had plagiarised material.