The Korean Culture & Content Agency (KOCCA) China office has come to the aid of member production studio CLKO Entertainment to provide legal assistance in helping the company win a trademark infringement case.

CLKO, brand-owner of the popular Korean-produced animated series MashiMaro, worked alongside KOCCA legal staff to file a lawsuit banning use of the MashiMaro character by Zhu Jiang Co. Ltd. and recovering the trademark right taken by China-based Zhu Jiang.

Representing the first winning case of illegally pre-occupied trademark right on a character in China, the lawsuit began when Zhu Jiang Co. Ltd. applied trademark rights to Liumanngtu MashiMaro (Bizarre Rabbit MashiMaro) a year earlier than CLKO Entertainment applied its trademark. The practice of applying foreign trademarks by Chinese companies without the consent of the brand owners has emerged as a growing problem for the Chinese government.

Said Park Y.K., Marketing Manager of CLKO: “It is meaningful that we won this case in China where copyright is not respected. When we filed the lawsuit, we felt it would be tremendously difficult to win, but with the help of KOCCA’s legal consulting service, we were triumphant.”

KOCCA China has been providing legal consulting service to help Korean companies establish their businesses within China, addressing all major set-up areas, including governmental and tax considerations.

“It is vital to protect copyright in China. Korean companies must know about Chinese law to protect copyright of their product, and we are pleased to offer them assistance through the KOCCA Legal Counseling Center,” remarked Kwon K.Y., Marketing Manager of KOCCA China.