Discussion Over Trademarks Containing Geographical Names

We often see some trademarks containing geographical names, such as L'Oréal Paris, etc. Because the humanistic or natural factors in certain places give their products a good reputation in certain aspects, business entities often add geographical names to their trademarks to indicate that the product provider or the product comes from a certain place. Although from a business perspective, adding geographical names to trademarks may increase product sales, it should be noted that adding geographical names to trademarks is strictly restricted by the Trademark Law.

We will discuss the issue of the registrability of trademarks containing geographical names in this article. Article 10.2 of Trademark Law stipulates: The geographical names as the administrative divisions at or above the county level and the foreign geographical names well known to the public shall not be used as trademarks, but such geographical terms as have otherwise meanings or are a part of collective