A Beijing court ruling has seen French clothing giant Lacoste awarded 760,000 yuan (US$98,700) in damages from three Chinese companies that copied its trademark.

 

La Chemise Lacoste filed a suit against Guangzhou Taie Dress Co. Ltd., Beijing-based Nianniangao Garments Co. Ltd., and the Beijing Urban-Rural Trade Center Co. Ltd. in July last year, claiming they infringed on its famous crocodile logo.

 

Taie had registered a "Golden Crocodile" trademark that consisted of a crocodile, waves and two Chinese characters, but  the company only used or highlighted the image of the crocodile, rendering it almost identical to Lacoste's logo, said a spokesman for the Beijing First Intermediate People's Court on Sunday.

 

The court thus ordered Taie to cease all manufacturing of clothes bearing the crocodile logos and fined it 500,000 yuan (US$64,900).

 

Nianniangao Garments was also severely fined 200,000 yuan (US$26,000) while Beijing Urban-Rural Trade Center received a slap on the wrist of 60,000 yuan (US$7,780) for failing to confirm the legality of trademarks on their products, according to the court's ruling.

 

The trademark of Lacoste is registered in 192 countries and was deemed worthy of special protection by China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce in 1999 and 2000.

 

In June last year, the French company also sued the owner of Beijing's Silk Market Plaza and some of its tenants for selling tee-shirts with its label, in another case of trademark infringement.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2007)