International auction house Sotheby’s has won a rare Chinese court victory in a trademark infringement case against a Chinese company, the Financial Times reported. Sotheby’s filed against Sichuan Su Fu Bi Auction Company, which uses the same simplified Chinese characters in its name as the international auction house. The Beijing court designated Sotheby’s name as "well-known" and thus protected despite the fact that its name in Chinese simplified characters has not yet been approved as a trademark in China. Sotheby’s has registered its name in both English and traditional characters. The ruling was a sign that Beijing’s judicial system is affording greater protection to foreign intellectual property rights. The Chinese firm is appealing the decision.
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