New Balance has been awarded ¥25 million ($3.9 million) in damages by a Chinese court in a trademark infringement case against two local companies for copying its slanting “N” logo, according to a report in The Financial Times.
The two defendants, Fujian-based footwear maker New Barlun and its distributor Shanghai Shiyi Trade, have expanded quickly in China’s smaller cities, selling knock-off New Balance goods bearing a capital “N” symbol similar to that appearing on genuine New Balance shoes at less than half the price.
The compensation accorded by the Shanghai Huangpu District Court is reportedly among the largest ever awarded to a foreign brand in a Chinese trademark battle against local copyright infringers.
Photo courtesy New Balance
