Advertisement
Advertisement
China society
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
Gold medallist Quan Hongchan of China is just one of a number of athletes who are having their names used illegally to sell a range of products in China. Photo: Reuters.

Tokyo Olympics: Chinese businesses illegally using names of winners Yang Qian, Chen Meng, Quan Hongchan

  • Dozens of athletes’ names have been registered as trademarks in China without authorisation, according to the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC)
  • On Thursday night, China’s trademark office invalidated 109 applications that tried to use the names of Olympians
Chinese authorities rejected 109 trademarks applications from businesses that used names of Olympians from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games without their permission.

In the aftermath of an Olympics game that generated big-time domestic stars, some companies started using their names to sell everything from office supplies to beer.

But, in many cases, the athletes had not approved, or may not have been aware, that their likeness was being used for advertising.

“Such acts wrongfully used other people’s reputation, invaded their legal rights and created a negative social impact,” the Trademark Office of China National Intellectual Property Administration said in an official statement on Thursday night.

Quan Hongchan has emerged as the biggest star in China from the China Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Photo: Reuters

Previously, the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) had demanded businesses to stop illegally using the names of Olympians on their products.

“Business activities need to remain rational and respect the athletes’ legal rights, in accordance with relevant laws,” the COC said in a statement on its official website on Wednesday.

“There should not be registration of trademarks with the Olympians’ names without authorisation from the athletes or their guardians. Offenders should stop their actions or retract,” it added.

Yang Qian of China poses during the awarding ceremony after the Tokyo 2020 women's 10 metre air rifle final. Photo: Xinhua
Several Chinese gold medallists including shooter Yang Qian, ping pong player Chen Meng, and diver Quan Hongchan saw their names registered as trademarks after their success during the Olympic Games.
During the games, 14-year-old Quan, China’s youngest Olympian, piled up 466.20 points to become the Olympic champion in the women’s 10 metre platform diving event.

Almost immediately, businesses started registering trademarks with her name in areas including office supplies, clothing, food and beer and other beverages. Just one company in Shenzhen alone had registered 10 different “Quan Hongchan” trademarks.

More than 70 trademarks related to her name were also being applied for, the Beijing Youth Daily reported, including “Hongchan”, “Sister Hongchan” and “Hongchan Queen”.

21-year-old Yang Qian became an instant sensation when she won the maiden gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

According to Qichacha, a website that compiles corporate registration information, the name “Yang Qian” has been registered by a number of companies in alcohol, clothing and exercise equipment.

Ping pong player Chen Meng of China. Photo: EPA-EFE

According to China’s trademark laws, names that are registered as trademarks belonging to a public figure need to have that person’s authorisation.

“If public figures’ names can be randomly registered into trademarks, it will disturb the normal market order,” Xu Chuanhan, a Chaoyang district court assistant told the Legal Daily.

He said if the public figures found that their names had been registered by others, they could argue against it and the registration could be deemed invalid.

02:44

14-year-old Chinese diver’s Olympic gold a story of her rise above poverty to perfect score

14-year-old Chinese diver’s Olympic gold a story of her rise above poverty to perfect score

In 2020, the China National Intellectual Property Administration retracted 37 trademark registrations related to Li Wenliang, China’s whistle-blowing doctor during the Covid-19 outbreak, who later died of the disease.

This came only a few days after it retracted 63 trademarks called “Huoshenshan” and “Leishenshan” – two emergency makeshift hospitals China built in response to the epidemic, and “Zhong Nanshan”, the Chinese pulmonologist regarded by the public as “China’s Dr. Fauci”.

1