On May 14, a news story about a trademark dispute of a famous national tofu restaurant brand in Jinan attracted attention. According to Oriental Sports Daily, the trademark "Slap Foot" applied for by the company was finally ruled invalid after an administrative decision in the second instance.
This national tofu company in Jinan had registered the trademark "摑foot" on products such as curd, tofu and its products. The owner of the store revealed that the trademark name was inspired by the fans' jokes about China's men's soccer team. Nonetheless, there are precious photos of the king of soccer, Li Huitang, and his glory days in China's men's soccer team hanging in the store.
However, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court held that the trademark "Slap Foot" contained the meaning of disparaging and ridiculing the "national football team", which could easily lead to negative and adverse effects. In the face of this judgment, Jinan National Tofu Company appealed. Not long ago, the Beijing High Court upheld the decision of the first instance.
