New Balance Was Sued for Trademark Infringement for Its Chinese Translation

US footwear manufacturer New Balance Athletic Shoe recently was sued in Guangzhou for its Chinese translation infringing the trademark “Xin Bai Lun” that belongs to a local brand which manufactures shoes.


The Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate People’s Court ruled that New Balance improperly used the mark and it must compensate the Chinese company 98 million RMB (16 million USD), which represents the highest amount of damages it has ordered for IP infringement since the establishment of the court, according to the China Times. Whether New Balance is going to appeal is not yet known.


The Guangzhou-based “Xin Bai Lun” brand owner, whose surname is Zhou, said he applied for the “Bai Lun” trademark in 1996, and for “Xin Bai Lun” in 2001, but that the US company used the “Xin Bai Lun - New Balance” mark for all advertising and marketing activities in China, which damaged his brand reputation.