SNAP! SAYS SINGAPORE COMPANY TO LACOSTE

The China Law Blawg and Yahoo report on the 40-year trade mark battle that’s been going on between Lacoste and the Singapore company, Crocodile International. Most recently, Lacoste had lost in its attempt to register its mark for cosmetics in China. Crocodile International claims that its mark was drawn by Tan Hiantsin in 1947 and was registered as a trade mark in Singapore in 1951. For its part, Lacoste points to a French registration dating back to 1933. Additionally, Lacoste registered in China in 1980, while Crocodile International waited until 1998. Now Lacoste’s right-facing crocodile is taking on Crocodile International’s left-facing crocodile in trade mark suits across China, the rest of Asia and the Middle East.



The IPKat thinks that there should be room for both marks to co-exist of the market. Crocodiles are a well-known member of the animal kingdom and a common theme and as such should only be entitled to a narrow scope of protection. A similar conclusion has been reached in cases involving the registrability of lions as trade marks.



Singing crocodiles here

Sick crocodiles here

Miserable crocodiles here

Snap up some croc a la carte here