Writer's trademark victory, a step forward for copyright protection

LAST WEEK, Zheng Yuanjie, a fairytale writer, succeeded in persuading the Trademark Review Committee of the State Administration for Market Regulation to annul the trademark of Pipilu, a leading character in one of Zheng's works, which had been registered by a Western food restaurant in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province, 14 years ago. Yanzhao Metropolis Daily comments:

This is a first illegal Pipilu trademark that Zheng has conquered. There remain another 191 Pipilu trademarks registered in various fields nationwide for him to deal with.

In fact, Zheng has paid special attention to protecting his copyrights since his works became famous in the 1980s. He has authorized the commercial use of Pipilu, and developed a series of derivatives in animation and video games featuring the character.