On the 19th, Thailand's "Royal 50R Group" filed a lawsuit in Thai court, seeking a staggering 100 billion baht (about 20 billion yuan) in compensation from Luckin Coffee, a Chinese coffee brand, leaving Chinese netizens in disbelief.
Luckin Coffee (left) and Thai Luckin Coffee (Image source: Luckin Coffee's official Weibo, online screenshot)
In 2020, Thailand's "Royal 50R" company successfully registered the "Luckin Coffee" trademark in Thailand, altering the iconic "deer head" of the Chinese coffee brand Luckin by turning it in a different direction, creating a brand called "Thai Luckin Coffee."
In 2021, Luckin Coffee discovered that its brand had been hijacked in Thailand and subsequently filed a lawsuit against "Thai Luckin Coffee" in Thailand. In the first trial, Luckin Coffee won, but Thai Luckin Coffee appealed.
Thai imitation of "Luckin Coffee" (Image source: Online)
In December 2023, the second trial delivered a surprising verdict, with Luckin Coffee losing the case, and Thai Luckin Coffee turning the tables. Subsequently, on the 19th, Thai Luckin Coffee boldly announced a lawsuit against Luckin Coffee for "damaging its reputation," claiming that Luckin Coffee's "baseless lawsuit" disrupted its business plans, and demanded a compensation of 100 billion baht.
Public records reveal that Thai Luckin Coffee has developed and operated over a dozen Luckin Coffee stores in Thailand, with a total revenue of 1,411,847 baht (approximately 29,000 yuan) in 2021.
Three main points have left Chinese netizens and Luckin Coffee astonished:
1. Why did Thai Luckin Coffee reverse its fortune in the second trial? Some lawyers suggest that trademark protection is geographically limited, and trademark rights are only protected in the registering country. Since Thai Luckin Coffee was registered first in Thailand, it has the right to claim itself as the "genuine Luckin" under Thai law.
2. What is the background of Thai Luckin Coffee, which even claims to be "Royal"? Reports suggest that the term"Royal" is open for registration in the Thai Ministry of Commerce, allowing any company to register it.
3. Thai Luckin Coffee's whopping 100-billion-baht claim raises suspicions of an exorbitant demand. The Royal 50R Group argues that Luckin Coffee damaged its business reputation, causing plan interruptions, and thus claims compensation for property losses and legal fees.
London store of Bao's Pastry (Image source: Xiaohongshu @廿一?)
Luckin Coffee's trademark dispute is not unique among Chinese brands facing similar issues abroad. In recent years, more emerging local consumer brands have fallen victim to imitation. Whether it's "Hey Tea" or "Bao's Pastry," well-known domestic trademarks are being hijacked overseas. The ongoing Luckin Coffee trademark dispute serves as a costly lesson for Chinese enterprises operating internationally, regardless of whether the Chinese Luckin Coffee ends up paying up to Thai Luckin Coffee or not.
Source:Yangcheng Evening News
两个“瑞幸”的真假之争
19日，泰国“皇家50R集团”向泰国法院提起诉讼，向中国瑞幸索赔100亿泰铢赔偿（约20亿人民币），震惊了中国网友。
2020年，泰国“皇家50R”公司在泰国抢注了“瑞幸咖啡”的商标，把中国咖啡品牌瑞幸的标志性“鹿头”转了个方向，其他都没什么变化，就搞出个“泰国瑞幸”。
2021年，中国瑞幸发现自己在泰国已经被抢注了，于是在泰国把“泰国瑞幸”给告了。一审，中国瑞幸胜诉。泰国瑞幸不服，上诉。
2023年12月，二审宣判，中国瑞幸败诉，泰国瑞幸反败为胜。随后，就在19日，泰国瑞幸突然高调宣布控告中国瑞幸“损害名誉”，以中国瑞幸“违反事实的诉讼”打断了其商业布局为由，向中国瑞幸索赔100亿泰铢。
公开资料显示，泰国瑞幸现已在泰国发展经营了十几家瑞幸咖啡店，2021年总收入为1411847泰铢（约合人民币29万元）。
让网友和中国瑞幸“大受震撼”的主要是三点：
一是为什么二审泰国瑞幸能反败为胜？有律师表示，商标保护具有地域限制，商标专用权仅在注册国受法律保护，在非注册国不受法律保护，此外，商标注册是“先到先得”，泰国瑞幸最先在泰国注册，那么，根据泰国法律，它就有权说自己是“正版”。
二是这个泰国瑞幸到底有何“背景”，还自称“皇家”？据媒体报道，实际上“泰国Royal（皇室/皇家）”这个词，是在泰国商务厅可以开放注册的，任何企业都可以去注册这个词。
三是泰国瑞幸索赔高达100亿泰铢，难免有“狮子大开口”的嫌疑。泰国皇家50R集团称，中国瑞幸损害其商业信誉，导致其计划中断，因此索赔财产损失及律师费。
中国品牌在海外遭遇类似问题不只瑞幸一家。近两年，新兴本土消费品牌越来越多被山寨。例如奶茶品牌“茶颜悦色”、糕点品牌“鲍师傅”等国内知名商标也都在国外被抢注。也正是因为在海外，导致商标保护非常困难。瑞幸商标之争仍在继续，不管是否真的要“赔钱”给泰国瑞幸，这都是给中国企业上了一堂“付费”课。
文｜记者 冷爽 孙绮曼译｜刘佳慧