BBC sues Chinese company for trademark infringement

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Though Chinese education authorities are decreasing the number of questions for the English part of college entrance exams, students and their parents haven't stopped trying to learning English, with apps eagerly feeding this demand.

Among the thousands of learning brands focused on English, it seems nothing can shake the Chinese belief in recognizable names like "BBC," "CNN," and "VOA." App developers regularly use "BBC" as bait to get more downloads.

VCG Photo

Recently, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has lodged an appeal against Chinese technology company, Iyuba, for using BBC’s trademark and content on its website, app and WeChat push messages without any authorization, according to the Haidian District People’s Court in Beijing on Tuesday.

The BBC is seeking 500,000 yuan (80,000 US dollars) in compensation and asked the company to cease infringing on its trademark which was said to be registered in China in the 1980s.

Screenshot from China's Trademark Office website. /Screenshot‍

Established in London in 1922, the BBC is the world’s oldest national broadcasting organization and the largest broadcaster in the world. According to the Trademark Office of the country’s administration for industry and commerce, it displays a total of 263 trademarks registered by the BBC in China, covering video and audio teaching materials and devices, and publishing.

Screenshot from Iyuba's webiste. /Screenshot

According to The Paper, a Shanghai-based news outlet, the BBC claimed that they had sent multiple letters to ask Iyuba to remove their brand from content and messages.

Screenshot from Iyuba's push message on WeChat. /Screenshot

Iyuba hasn't issued any statement about the appeal, but the trademark and content of BBC have been removed from its website. However, the use of “BBC” can still be found in the headlines of its push messages on WeChat.

Established in 2012, the Beijing-based company aims to make their online platform the best way for people to learn English and Chinese. Over 85 kinds of apps on language learning can be seen in its app stores.

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