Animexchanges

You know it’s understandable that many business owners would love to have famous celebrities to promote their business. However, how far would you go to give your business a boost it needs to generate sales?

In China, there’s apparently a lot of Chinese entrepreneurs seeking to use the names of many popular Japanese celebrities to market their own business. It may not be illegal in China; however it is very disrespectful, especially if the Japanese celebrities have not given any form of consent. The Chinese government doesn’t allow their residents to use well-known names in foreign countries as trademark, but has yet to apply the same law to names of well-known celebrities.

Most Japanese celebrities whose names have been sought as private brands in China are also popular in the country, according to the Trademark Office of the Chinese State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

Hamasaki’s name was registered by a company in Guangdong Province and a person in Hunan Province, as the brands of stationery and a fitness club, respectively, the office’s website shows.

But anonymous comments on the website are full of complaints against the use of Hamasaki’s name.

An individual in Hubei Province also obtained the right to use the name of Japanese pop singer Namie Amuro as a brand for apparel while several people registered the name of table tennis player Ai Fukuhara, who played the sport with Chinese President Hu Jintao when he visited Japan last year.

Applications for trademark registration were also made for veteran Japanese actor Ken Takakura and pop singer Mika Nakashima.

Even if you use one’s name to promote a business, it can cause problems if the name is used for unlawful or harmful purposes. How do you feel about this?

Source: JpopAsia
Image source: J!-Ent