The case involves a trademark infringement and unfair competition dispute against PANPAN, a well-known security door brand in China.
On 31 Aug. 2023, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) rendered a final judgment in the case, upholding the original judgment and ordering the infringing party to compensate the trademark owner up to CNY 100 million (See (2022) Zui Gao Fa Min Zhong No.209 ((2022)最高法民終209號)).
The plaintiff of the first instance is PANPAN Anju Door Industry Co., Ltd (盼盼安居門業有限責任公司, hereinafter the “PANPAN”), known to Chinese consumers for its products bearing the “PANPAN” wordmark and a panda logo.
Founded in 1992, PANPAN is China’s largest manufacturer of security doors. In 2010, PANPAN officially joined the well-known multinational corporation AssaAbloy of Sweden, the world’s largest supplier of smart locks and security solutions.
The defendant company was named “Xin Pan Pan” (鑫盼盼), and its trademark also featured a panda image.
PANPAN argued that “Xin Pan Pan” caused consumers confusion and engaged in commercial defamation, and filed a lawsuit with a court accordingly.
This case represents the latest advance in China’s recent efforts to impose higher costs on intellectual property infringers.
Photo by Stefan Wagener on Unsplash
Contributors: CJO Staff Contributors Team
