The 110-year old couture house has lost a trademark infringement
case it brought against a Chinese jewelry store that was selling
goods brandishing a similar logo to the iconic Chanel double
"C" logo.
The Chinese court held that the jewelry shop owner did not
infringe Chanel's trademark rights for the following
reasons. For one, the double "C" that formed the
shape of the pieces of jewelry sold at the jewelry shop did not act
as a trademark - despite Chanel's exclusive rights to use of
its registered trademark for the double "C"
pattern. The court also held that the shop owner did not
mislead buyers into thinking that they were purchasing Chanel
products. In fact, the court stated that the ordinary
consumer with a general level of understanding would not
deem that they were purchasing Chanel products.
