Fudan trademark secures protection

The name of Fudan University will be protected as a famous trademark, the Trademark Office of China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce has announced on its Website.

The school, which is considered Shanghai's top university, was founded in 1905.

Fudan University today applauded this decision, saying it will be an effective move against the widespread misappropriation of the school's name, according to a notice posted on its Website.

The name Fudan has been misappropriated for commercial uses in recent years. For example, some educational institutes, tutors and technological firms have operated in the name of Fudan to attract business. Such gimmicks are misleading and violate the school's trademark, it said.

Faced with a mounting number of lawsuits, the university applied for trademark protection in 1999 and was named of one of Shanghai's famous trademarks last year, the notice said.

The university says the application for trademark protection was not driven by commercial reasons but to prevent its reputation from being tainted by "feckless commercial activities," the notice said.