In the midst of the raging trademark battle in the United States, a controversy over chili sauce has sparked deep reflection on cultural respect and business practices. Korean American celebrity chef Jang Seok-ho's restaurant conglomerate Futao tried to preemptively register the "Chile Crunch" trademark and issued a warning to other small businesses to stop using products with similar names. However, the move has sparked widespread controversy. Many Asians believe that Fu Tao is bullying small businesses in this trademark battle, while Lao Gan Ma shows a unique high pattern.
In this incident, Lao Gan Ma did not choose to take the road of law, but remained silent. Rather than trying to register their chili oil trademark in the U.S., they chose to protect the brand identity associated with it. This low-key yet graceful approach has won the approval of many Asians and foodies, and people have said that Lao Gan Ma has shown a completely different attitude and pattern from Fu Tao.
After facing the pressure of public opinion, Futao Group finally changed its attitude, announced that it would no longer enforce its so-called trademark rights, and apologized to the community. The move is seen as a step in the right direction, but others believe that Futao should do more to demonstrate its commitment to the Asian American community.
The whole incident reflects the Asian American appreciation for traditional food culture and concern for business practices. In this trademark battle, Lao Gan Ma showed a high degree of cultural confidence and a sense of the big picture, and they chose to keep a low profile to avoid conflicts with other companies, while also protecting their brand image. In contrast, Fu Tao's approach is seen as bullying small businesses, which is in stark contrast to the pattern shown by Lao Gan Ma.
In this competitive and contentious business world, cultural respect and business ethics are extremely important. This trademark battle has brought us profound enlightenment, and made us re-examine the cultural values and social responsibilities behind business practices.