BEIJING -- The name of China's state television company, China Central Television (CCTV), may become a condom trademark if a local businessman's application is approved.

However, officials at the CCTV expressed shock at the plan and said they were considering protection for their brand name.

Li Zhenyong, from Fujian Province in the southeast, applied for the trademark registration on January 6, Monday's Chongqing Economic Times reported.

The application covers ten products, including a cervical cap, condom and non-chemical contraceptives, that would sport the brand name CCTV Channel 1. In Chinese, the fourth character of the name is a homophone for condoms.

Li's application is now subject to the assessment of the trademark bureau of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).

An official from the SAIC said the assessment of Li's application would last for at least 18 months, and probably would not come to a conclusion till the end of next year.

"If nobody lodges an objection during the process, the approval of the trademark is only a matter of time," an analyst was quoted as saying.

Li said he hoped CCTV's fame would attract investment from big companies for production. A Shenzhen-based contraceptive company had already offered 400,000 yuan (US$50,000) to buy the trademark off him if he succeeded.

A CCTV official who refused to be named said he was aghast that the name of CCTV had been chosen as a condom trademark.

The official said he would consult with senior officials at the station to decide whether to take legal action to stop the registration.