Ausone wins China trademark case

Château Ausone and Barrière Frères have won trademark court cases in China.

The Chinese Trademark Office (CTO) backed the two Bordeaux companies, rejecting and banning two uses of similar names and images.

Négociant, Barrière Frères was opposing the registration of a ship logo which it said was too similar to the ship it uses for its “Grand Bateau” label.

The CT, which had previously approved the logo, upheld Barrière Frères’ suit.

Ausone meanwhile won its case to block the use of its name in Chinese characters.

Apparently the case was brought against a man known in Bordeaux wine circles as “the trademark squatter”.

The CTO ruled that “Mr Xie” had acted in bad faith in using the château’s name.

The victory for these Bordelais is in contrast to Castel, which was recently fined US$5 million for using the Ka Si Te trademark.

Supposedly a transliteration of Castel, the Shanghai Banti Wine Company and Li Dao Zhi, which had previously registered the name.