Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei on Wednesday apologized for applying for trademarks in the name of the company for his youngest daughter Annabel Yao, but has not taken any further action after the apology. 

Data service company Tianyancha showed that Huawei on January 25 applied a total of 90 trademarks, including "Yao Anna," "Yao Siwei," "AnnalbelYao," "YAOANNA" and "YAOSIWEI," covering a wide range of clothing accessories, food, jewelry, machinery and equipment and other fields. 

"Some companies or individuals would maliciously step in the registration of trademarks related to Annabel Yao, so we have no choice but to do it first," according to a note released internally to Huawei employees.

China's Trademark Law states that citizens on the Chinese mainland must use the name of a company or hold an individual business license to apply for trademark registration. Yao has just graduated and not registered her own company, so Ren asked Huawei's Intellectual Property Department to apply for Yao's trademarks, and Yao will pay for the registration fees later when she has her own company, the note said.

This is the first time that Ren abused power for private use, and he apologizes to all employees of the company, the note said.

On January 14, Yao, the 23-year-old Harvard graduate, announced her official debut in the entertainment industry by signing an agreement with Beijing TH Entertainment Co., which garnered mixed public reactions.

Yao is Ren's daughter from his second marriage. Her half-sister and Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou continues to be under house arrest in Canada in an extradition case.

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