Chery beats Tencent in fight over 'QQ' auto trademark

Chery Automobile, the Chinese carmaker, beat Tencent Holdings Ltd in a war over the ownership of the trademark "QQ" for vehicles, according to a recent ruling by the Beijing Supreme People's Court. The court ruled that Shenzhen-based Internet giant Tencent must withdraw its registration of the trademark for automobiles. The two companies have been fighting over "QQ" since 2005. Tencent, which is known for its online messenger QQ, applied to register the trademark as a Class 12 commodity, which includes automobiles, in 2005. The application was granted on March 7, 2008. However, Chery, which also produces a type of vehicle branded as QQ, applied to the Trademark Appeal Board to withdraw the approval of the controversial trademark.