Course Syllabus of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law
Course Title: Trademark Law | ||||
Course Code | 41063010 | Semester | Fall | |
Teaching Hours | 64 | Credits | 4 | |
Prerequisites | Introduction to Chinese Law | |||
Instructor Information | ||||
Name | Xiaoli Wang | everylily@yeah.net | ||
Institute | Civil Law Department, Law School | |||
Applicable Object | International Students | |||
Course Objectives | By the end of the course, the students are expected to be able to: 1. Understand the fundamental legal terms, doctrines, and rules of Chinese trademark law, 2. Develop case-reading abilities by summarizing the issue(s), rule(s), analysis, and conclusion(s) of the landmark trademark cases in China, America, and the European Union, 3. Understand how trademark laws are implemented by the trademark office and the judicial system in China, 4. Perform rudimental comparative studies among Chinese, American, and the European Union Trademark law, and 5. Develop basic skills in legal research & writing. | |||
Course Description (200 words) | As the most populated and the second-largest economy in the world, China has experienced continuous growth in innovation ability and the international community has witnessed a tremendous improvement in its legislation and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Accordingly, it is essential for any student who is getting an intellectual property law degree in China to develop an in-depth understanding of Chinese trademark law. This course consists of three parts, providing a theoretical and practical account of Chinese trademark law. It starts with the introduction of the basics of Chinese law and intellectual property rights, laying out the foundation for further study of this course, and then proceeds to rest two parts, i.e., the establishment and protection of trademark rights. It covers not only the fundamental principles and rules of trademark law, such as distinctiveness, the likelihood of confusion, and dilution but also the cutting-edge topics，such as trademark use, secondary liability, and punitive damages. Considering that America and the European Union are the two most influential powers in the world in terms of intellectual property protection, and many jurisdictions including China’s trademark law have been heavily influenced by them, a thorough study of trademark law can’t be accomplished without discussion of the similarities and differences among America, the EU, and China. Therefore, this course will be delivered mostly in a comparative way. For each topic, the instructor will lecture on the statutory framework set by major international conventions and agreements, such as the Paris Convention, and the TRIPS Agreement, and then proceed to the laws and practices in those three jurisdictions. To demonstrate how the intellectual property regime has been evolving through history, some of the attention will be given to the major legislative changes over time, yet the primary purpose of this course is to help students to compare the current trademark law. | |||
Assessment Methods |
Class attendance and discussions accounts for 20% of the final grade, and an open-book take home exam 80%.
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Textbooks and References | 1. Students are required to use the course pack prepared by the instructor, which will be handed out at the beginning of the course. 2. No textbook is required. However, the instructor recommends the following books as references, especially to students who are interested in learning more about intellectual property law: (1)WIPO Intellectual Property Handbook, Reprinted in 2008, WIPO Publication No. 489(E), ISBN 978-92-805-1291-5 (2) James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins, Intellectual Property: Law & the Information Society Cases and Materials (4the Edition, 2021), Duke Center for the Study of Public Domain, ISBN https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ (3) Lydia Pallas Loren, Joseph Scott Miller, Intellectual Property Law: Cases & Materials, Semaphore Press 2021, ISBN 978-1-943689-04-0, https://www.semaphorepress.com/IntellectualPropertyLaw_overview.html. (4) Barton Beebe, “Trademark Law: An Open-Source Casebook, http://tmcasebook.org/. For more open-source textbooks on IP, see the following link: https://spicyip.com/resources-links/ip-books-open-access.
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Course planning | ||||
Chapter 1 | PART I: Basic Introductions Regime (WEEK 1-3)
Module 1: Introduction to the Basics of Chinese Law Week 1: Historical Origins of Law and Judicial System in China A. Course Overview a. Course Goals b. Teaching Methods B. Brief History of China and Chinese Law a. Pre 1949 b. 1949-1978 c. 1978-Present C. Understanding Civil Law & Common Law a. Civil Law v. Common Law b. Case Citations in the US c. Judicial System in the US D. Chinese Legal System under the Civil Law Tradition Perspective a. Power Structure Set in the Constitution of the PRC b. Sources of Law in China c. Court System in China No compulsory reading assignments. | |||
Chapter 2 | Module 2: Introduction to the Basics of Intellectual Property Rights Week 2: Overview of Intellectual Property Regime A. Scope of Intellectual Property Rights a. Scope of IP under the WIPO Convention b. Scope of IP under the Trips Agreement c. Scope of IP under Chinese Law B． Characteristics of Intellectual Property Rights a. Time-limited b. Territorial c. Statutory C. History of IP Protection in China a. The 1890s-1949 b. Late1970s- Early 1990s c. 1990s-Early 2000s d. 2005-Present D．Intellectual Property under a Larger Scheme a. Intellectual Property and Related Concepts b. Striking the Balance of Interests among Different Groups No compulsory reading assignments.
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Chapter 3 | Module 3: Introduction to the Basics of Trademark Law Week 3: Introduction to Trademark Law A. Functions of Trademark a. Source Identification b. Quality Assurance c. Advertising Vehicle d. Cultural Implications B. Philosophical Justifications of Intellectual Property Rights a. Three Major Philosophical justifications b. Policy Justifications for Trademark Protection Readings: 1. Introduction to Trademark Law (Book Chapter of Intellectual Property in the New Technological Age:2021) 2. Mark P. McKenna, The Normative Foundations of Trademark Law, 82 NOTRE DAME L. REV. 1839, 1849-62 (2007) (Excerpts) | |||
Chapter 4 | PART II: ESTABLISHMENT OF TRADEMARK (WEEK 4-9)
Module 1: Requirements for Trademark Establishment
Week 4: Protectable Subject Matter A. Eligible Signs a. Statutory Basis: What Can be Protected as a Trademark b. New Frontiers: Non-Conventional Marks B. Categories of Trademarks a. Trademarks v. Service Marks b. Registered Marks v. Unregistered Marks c. Convention Marks v. Non-conventional Marks d. Collective Marks v. Certification Marks C. The Right Choice for Developing Countries Readings: 1. Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co., Inc.,514 U.S. 159 (1995) 2. Comments on “The Red Sole” Trademark case in China 3. Red Bull v. EUIPO, C-124/18 P, ECLI: EU:C:2019:641 | |||
Chapter 5 | Week 5: Trademark Distinctiveness (1): Basics A. Introduction a. Trademark Functions & Distinctiveness b. Statutory Basis of Distinctiveness c. The Abercrombie Spectrum B. Acquired Distinctiveness a. Statutory Basis for Acquired Distinctiveness b. Distinguishing Suggestive from Descriptive Marks c. Proving Second Meaning C. Generic Marks a. Test for Genericness b. Genericide c. Protecting Against Genericism Readings: 1. Zatarain’s, Inc. v. Oak Grove Smokehouse, Inc., 698 F.2d 786 (5th Cir. 1983) 2. Elliott v. Google Inc., 860 F.3d 1151 (9th Cir. 2017) 3. The “Lu Jin” Case, Guiding Case No. 46 (2015) | |||
Chapter 6 | Week 6: Trademark Distinctiveness (2): Special Issues
A. Distinctiveness Analysis of Special Verbal Marks a. Verbal Marks in Foreign Languages b. Geographic Terms c. Acronyms & Misspellings B. Distinctiveness Analysis of Non-verbal Marks a. Shapes Marks b. Color Marks c. Sound Marks Readings 1. USPTO v. Booking.com, _U.S._ (2020) 2. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Samara Bros., Inc., 529 U.S. 205 (2000) | |||
Chapter 7 | Module 2: Bars of Trademark Establishment Week 7: Functionality Doctrine A. Introduction a. Statutory Basis b. Policy Goals c. Functionality and Distinctiveness B. Tests for Functionality a. Utilitarian Functionality b. Aesthetic Functionality C. Comparative Study a. Legislation b. Legal Practices Readings： 1. Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 539 U.S. 23 (2003) 2. TrafFix Devices, Inc. v. Marketing Displays, Inc., 532 U.S. 23 (2001) 3. Lego Juris A/S v Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM), ECLI:EU:C:2010:41 | |||
Chapter 8 | Week 8: Other Bars to Trademark Establishment A. What Cannot be Protected as a Trademark a. Official Signs b. Offensive Marks B. Non-violation of Prior Rights & Interests a. Non-violation of Prior Rights b. Non-violation of Prior Interests Readings: 1. Matal v. Tam,137 S.Ct. 1744, 582 U.S. __ (2017) 2. Constantin Film Produktion v EUIPO, C-240/18, ECLI:EU:C:2020:118 3. Michael Jeffery Jordan v. TRAB & Qiaodan Sports Co. Ltd. (2016) | |||
Chapter 9 | Modul 3: Procedural Requirements for Trademark Establishment
Week 9: Procedural Requirements A. Creating Trademark Right through Use or Registration a. Pros & Cons of the Two Approaches b. Desalting with Abusive Trademark Registration in China B. Trademark Registration Process a. Registration Process in China b. Registration in the US & the EU C. Post-registration Proceedings a. Cancellation b. Invalidation D. International Trademark Application a. The Madrid Agreement and the Madrid Protocol b. International Application under the Madrid System Readings: 1. Wang Suiyong v. Shenzhen Ellassay Fashion Co., Ltd. and Hangzhou Intime Century Department Store Co., Ltd., (2014) Mín Tí Zì Dì 24 Hào Pàn Jué Shū
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Chapter 10 | PART III: PROTECTION OF TRADEMARK (WEEK 10-16) Module 1: Trademark Infringement Week 10: Trademark Infringement: Basics A. Introduction a. Test of Trademark Infringement b. Statutory Basis of Trademark Infringement B. Trademark Infringement under Chinese Trademark Law a. Identity & Similarity of Marks b. Identity & Similarity of Goods/Services C. America & EU Approach a. America: The Multifactor Test b. The EU: Identical (Similar) Marks & Identical (Similar) Good/Services Readings: 1. see AMF Inc. v. Sleekcraft Boats, 599 F.2d 341 (9th Cir. 1979) 2. Jin A’huan v. Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation (JSBC), Shenzhen Zhenai Information Technology Co., Ltd. Guangdong Higher People's Court (2016), Yuè Mín Zài 447 Hào Civil Judgement | |||
Chapter 11 | Week 11 Trademark Infringement (2)
A. Actionable Use Requirement a. The “Double Identity” Issue b. Trademark Use on the Internet c. Trademark Use: Establishment of Trademark Rights v. Trademark Infringement B. Types of Confusion a. Confusion as to Source & Confusion as to Sponsorship b. Timing of Confusion c. Reverse Confusion C. Trademark Infringement: Secondary Liability a. ISP Provider Secondary Liability b. Landlord-Tenant Secondary Liability Readings: 1. Rescuecom Corp. v. Google Inc.,562 F.3d 123 (2d Cir. 2009) 2. Google Inc. v Louis Vuitton Malletier SA (C-236/08), EU:C:2010:159 3. Tiffany Inc. v. eBay Inc., 600 F.3d 93 (2d Cir. 2010)
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Chapter 12 | Week 12: Extended Protection for Well-known Marks A. Introduction a. Theoretical Foundation b. Statutory Basis B. The Fame Requirement for Trademark Dilution a. Geographic Scope b. General Public v. Relevant Public C. Trademark Dilution a. Dilution by Blurring b. Dilution by Tarnishment D. The China & EU Approach a. The China Approach b. The EU Approach c. Compare US with China & EU Readings: 1. Starbucks Corp. v. Wolfe’s Borough Coffee, Inc., 736 F.3d 198 (2d Cir. 2013) 2. V Secret Catalogue, Inc. v. Moseley 605 F.3d 382 (6th Cir. 2010) 3. Davidoff & Cie SA & Zino Davidoff SA v. Gofkid Ltd, Case C-292/00, ECLI:EU:C:2003:9 | |||
Chapter 13 | Week 13: Defenses to Trademark Infringement A. Fair Use a. Descriptive Fair Use and Consumer Confusion b. Nominative Fair Use B. Expressive Uses of Trademarks a. Expressive Uses and the Tests for Confusion and Dilution b. The Rogers v. Grimaldi Test for Unauthorized “Artistic” Uses c. Further Examples of Expressive Use Analyses C. Exhaustion of Trademark Rights a. First Sale Doctrine b. Parallel Importation D. Prior Use Right Readings: 1. KP Permanent Make-Up, Inc. v. Lasting Impression I, Inc., 543 U.S. 111 (2004) 2. Mattel, Inc. v MCA Records, Inc., 296 F.3d 894 (9th Cir. 2002) 3. Gillette v. LA-Laboratories Ltd Oy, Case C-228/03(2005), ECLI:EU:C:2005:177
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Chapter 14 | Module 2: Exceptions to Trademark Protection Module 3: Remedies
Week 14: Remedies for Trademark Infringement A. Overview a. Statutory Basis in International Conventions b. Legal Provisions in Domestics Laws B. Injunctions a. Types of Injunctions b. Requirements of Injunction C. Damages a. Methods of Damage Calculation b. Punitive Damages c. Attorney’s Fees Readings： 1. Book Chapter(P1127-P1136)of Intellectual Property in the New Technological Age, Merges, Robert P., Menell, Peter S., Lemley, Mark A. Clause 8 Publishing, 2019
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Chapter 15 | Week 15 Protection of Geographical Indications
A. International Framework of Protection a. The Paris Convention b. The Lisbon Agreement c. The Madrid Agreement d. The Trips Agreement B. Protection of Geographical Indications in China a. Legislation b. Administrative and Judicial Practices C. Protection of Geographical Indications in EU a. Legislation b. Administrative and Judicial Practices Readings: 1. Scotch Whiskey Association v. Klotz, Judgement of the Court (fifth Chamber),2018 2. European Communities-Protection of Trademarks and Geographical Indications for Agricultural Productions and Foodstuffs Compliant to the WTO by the United States
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Chapter 16 | Week 16 Trademark Protection in International Landscape A. Introduction B. The WIPO Paris Convention and Trademarks a. Protection for Regular dDesignations b. Joint Recommendation Concerning Provisions on the Protection of Well-known Marks C. The WTO Trips Agreement and Trademarks a. The Trips Agreement Text Analyzed b. WTO Appellate Body Interpretation of the TRIPS Agreement and Paris Convention Readings: 1. The Tabaco Cases, Australia-Certain Measures Concerning Trademarks, Geographical Indications and other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging | |||
