Chinese firms scramble to register metaverse trademarks despite Beijing’s warnings of risks
- The number of individual metaverse-related trademark applications had reached 8,534 by Sunday, as it is common for businesses to apply for multiple trademarks
- Telecoms giant Huawei and Hisense, China’s largest television brand, also jumped onto the metaverse trademark bandwagon last week
Chinese businesses are rushing to register trademarks related to the metaverse, translated as Yuanyuzhou in Chinese, despite Beijing’s warnings over risks associated with the new concept, according to the latest trade registration data.
As of Sunday, more than 1,360 Chinese companies, mainly technology firms, have applied to register metaverse-related trademarks, a big jump from three months ago when only 130 companies had filed such applications, the Securities Daily reported on Monday, citing data from business and trademark registration tracking firm Tianyancha.
The number of individual metaverse-related trademark applications as of Sunday had reached 8,534, as it is common for businesses to apply for multiple trademarks.
For example, NetEase, China’s second largest video games company after Tencent Holdings, has applied to register 26 trademarks related to metaverse, including names such as “metaverse satellite” and “metaverse exhibition”, the report added.
Most of the trademark applications are currently “pending ” or undergoing “substantive examination”, the newspaper said.
Telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co and Hisense, China’s largest television brand, also jumped onto the metaverse bandwagon last week.