New Balance Wins $3.85M in Trademark Case Against Chinese Copycat
New Balance has prevailed in a trademark case that is part of a larger and long-running legal battle that has pitted it against New Barlun, a Chinese sportswear company that has been trading on its name and various trademarks for more than 15 years. In a decision dated January 5, the Shanghai Huangpu District Court ordered New Barlun Co. Ltd and Shanghai Shiyi Trade Co. Ltd to pay damages of RMB 25 million ($3.85 million) to New Balance, in one of the largest judgments awarded to a trademark holder in the sportswear market in China to date.
The Shanghai Huangpu District Court held that New Barlun and Shiyi’s practice of manufacturing and distributing sneakers bearing a capital “N” symbol that is noticeably similar to the “N” that appears on the side of New Balance’s trainers constitutes trademark infringement, with the court noting that the similarity between the two parties’ marks is similar in both a “visual and conceptual” capacity.
