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Wednesday 2 May 2012

Castel fined for infringing trademark rights of Robert Parker's 'new friend'

  
 Wine Future HK: Daniel Li (Li Daozhi), Robert Parker and Pancho Campo MW

Last Friday Vitisphere carried the news that Castel Frères, the largest importers of French wine into China had been 4.12€ million for infringing the trademark rights of Daniel Li (Li Daozhi) of Caves Maître France. Back in 2000 the far-sighted Li Daozhi registered a series of prestigious wine trademarks in China  like Castel, Lafite, Mouton, Penfold and Diageo. Although in the West one might view Daniel Li (Li Daozhi)'s action as name theft, in China a court has upheld his right to Castel's name. Castel are appealing against the verdict. 

Chine : Castel condamné pour contrefaçon... de son propre nom !
'L’affaire paraît ubuesque. Le groupe Castel vient d’être condamné par la cour d’appel de Wenzhou en Chine pour contrefaçon de la marque Kasite, traduction en chinois du nom Castel. Le plaignant, Li Daozhi, propriétaire de la société Shanghai Panati, a déposé en Chine en 2000 une série de prestigieux noms de marques de vin comme Castel, Lafite, Mouton, Penfold, Diageo…, qu’il a eu l’habileté de déposer dans leur traduction chinoise. Ainsi Castel en chinois se traduit Kasite. Le groupe français, qui avait eu la sagesse de protéger le nom et le logo Castel en Chine dès ses premiers pas en 1998, n’a en revanche déposé que lors de sa création en 2005 le nom de sa filiale chinoise : Faguo Kasite Xiongdi Gongsi (qui signifie France Castel Frères SAS).'

Read the rest here.
 
Daniel Li (Li Daozhi) and his companies were a major sponsor of Pancho Campo's Wine Future Hong Kong last November. Doubtless Robert Parker knew nothing of 
Daniel Li (Li Daozhi)'s controversial actions but what did Campo know? And if he didn't should he have checked out his major sponsors?


Robert Parker presenting@Wine Future HK under a large Caves Maître France sign 

Hope Robert was signing over the rights to his name in China to Daniel Li!


See earlier post about Caves Maître and Wine Future HK.

1 comment:

  1. Superlative picture of the troika, Jim.

    SFJ

    ReplyDelete