Excellent in-depth post put on before the holiday on China Business Law Blog on Pfizer’s IP trials and tribulations in China concerning the Chinese version of the Viagra trademark. This story goes back to 1998, right around the time when I got here.

Coca-Cola is perhaps the most-often cited example of a localized foreign trademark, since the Chinese mark successfully includes a similar sound to the English as well as having a positive and suitable meaning. The Viagra debacle is perhaps the most-often cited example of what can go wrong when a holder of a world famous mark fails to register a Chinese version in the PRC.

I won’t go into details - read Brad’s article, which also includes some spot-on commentary on Pfizer’s use of the judicial system and the way litigation works over here.

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