Shaolin Trademark

[GeneChing]

Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin is trying to get the Shaolin name trademarked now. Seems like he'll be a little late, but imagaine the impact if he succeeds. Check it out:
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1032128613059

[Royal Dragon]

If this goes through, can they sue me for advertising I Teach Shaolin Kung Fu? Will I have to apply and pay them to use the name?? Or will proving that I actually teach Shaolin forms suffice?

On one hand, it would be cool to see the Shaolin Temple shut down guys like Simon (Temple Kung Fu) on the other it would really suck if they shut me down for not making a finacial contrabution to them.

I'm against it. The name is out of the bag, and has been for centuries. It's a bit late now me thinks.

[Shaolin Master]

I don't think it applies to martial arts, it is more than likely applied to trademark branding on products such as :
Shaolin Coca Cola,
Shaolin Cigarettes etc.......

In terms of martial arts any KF with its basis in Shaolin can use the name as it is public domain in the KF world, legally it would be unjustifiable as it is to difficuilt to prove shaolin in ancestry and shaolin in its modern personae as presented by Shi Yong Xin Fang Zhang.

Rgd.,

[Crimson Phoenix]

Sadly, it seems more that it has to do with $$$$ than with preserving "authentic" shaolin...

[GeneChing]

Shi Yongxin has been fighting against all sorts of private companies that market shaolin products like cigarettes. He won a historic battle against a Shaolin sausage company. In China, trademarks are a new concept, so are lawyers really. This trademark battles are very new there, very difficult to win and more difficult to enforce. The sausage lawsuit was a major victory for Shaolin. I mean really, I love Shaolin collectibles, but sausage?

[Royal Dragon]

Yeah, calling something the "Young forest sausage" would be a travisty, especially if it was produced in a newly planted forest.

[r.(shaolin)]

I thought those of you that have followed the trademarking of the word "Shaolin" world-wide, might be interesed in how the Canadian story has developed - its seems to have taken a different turn in this case.
Canada:
http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/opic-cipo/tr...tIndexOnPage=1

r.
Europe:
http://oami.eu.int/CTMOnline/Request...arch_basic.jsp

[Banjos_dad]

That's pretty cool. A lot of information packed into that. They are planning to market a wide range of goods, it looks like. You will be able to buy an official shaolin miter.

I wonder what the athletic shoes will be like.

[David Jamieson]

That is a trademark and is totally allowable.

However, so is it legal if I make an alternate trademark logo and give it the name shaolin.

the name shaolin will likely never be trademarked, but at least with that logo, we will be able to identify what is from teh temple and what is just called shaolin.

good on them. there are a lot of 'shaolin' products out there that are NOT shaolin at all.

[GeneChing]

That image is from an old stele - I tried to find the date on it, but I'd have to dig through my libraries to get it. It's famous because it shows graphically the three-in-one. Few westerners are that into it, but it's very significant to the Chinese and to scholars.

There's this huge Shaolin trademark issue here in California. It's pretty hush-hush, but the grist of it is that a private entrepenuer claims rights to the name. We discussed it a bit last year. It relates to the Shaolin tour that just came through here.

[r.(shaolin)]

re: "Shaolin" Word trademark.
Recently someone has requested that PRC Shaolin Si's, word trademark "Shaolin" be cancelled in Europe. The bases cited was, bad faith and / or invalidity.

. . . . and . . . . a new trademark application for "Shaolin" has been filed by a German company called "Shaolin Temple Industry Development Europe GmbH.

Does anyone know what thats all about.

r.

[Shaolin]

However, so is it legal if I make an alternate trademark logo and give it the name shaolin.

the name shaolin will likely never be trademarked, but at least with that logo, we will be able to identify what is from teh temple and what is just called shaolin.

That's exactly what I did; I tied the name into my logo and trademarked it. (see avatar)

[GeneChing]

Sorry, just couldn't resist that. Take that topic up here.

[GeneChing]

We don't really have a Shaolin Fashion thread that I could find, so I'm hijacking the old What-You-Wear and copying it to our Shaolin-Trademark because that has had recent activity.

Xtep and the Shaolin Honor Tradition and Technical Expertise with New Collab
Inspired by the famed Shaolin style of Kung Fu.
Fashion
13 Mins ago
Presented by Xtep



Sneaker and sports apparel brand Xtep has partnered with The Shaolin, a monastery known for its ancient style of Kung Fu that combines intense mental and physical training, for an unexpected crossover. The collaborative collection is inspired by the sport, creating a lifestyle offering that honors its tradition while ushering the Buddhist icon into a new era.

The Shaolin x Xtep capsule originally debuted during a show at the Shaolin Monastery in the Chinese province of Henan, marking the first event of its kind at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The collection makes obvious draws from traditional garments and gives them a modern edge courtesy of Xtep’s expertise in technical and sports-focused gear. The result is a series of unisex windbreakers, T-shirts, outerwear and fleece sets that combine ages old silhouettes with a contemporary leaning. Driving home its relevance in present day fashion, the collection was shot against the backdrop of New York to show off its global appeal.


Check out the Shaolin x Xtep collection in the images above and head to Xtep’s website to shop the range.