On June 30^th, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation (hereinafter, "SAMR") published 4 typical cases of administrative law enforcement, including case n. 2 involving trademark infringement to the detriment of the Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (hereinafter, "Champagne Committee").

The "Champagne" collective trademark (a geographical indication) is held by the Champagne Committee and is authorized for use on wine under Class 33. On March 6^th, 2024, the Champagne Committee reported to the Qingdao Market Supervision Bureau in Shandong Province (hereinafter, the "Bureau") the infringement of its trademark rights.

The Bureau promptly responded to address the infringement and ensure the protection of foreign-related intellectual property rights. Specifically, on March 7^th, the Bureau conducted an on-site inspection at Qingdao Lilong Winery Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, "Lilong Company") and seized 129 boxes of sparkling wine labeled with the word "Champagne". The investigation revealed that the company had produced 137 boxes of sparkling wine labeled with the word "Champagne" and provided 8 boxes of samples to distributors. Therefore, it was determined that Lilong Company's actions constituted an infringement of exclusive trademark rights, as stipulated in Article 57, Item 1, of the Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China.

Ultimately, the Bureau decided to confiscate the 129 boxes of sparkling wine bearing the word "Champagne" and impose a fine of RMB 20,000.

This case demonstrates the fast and efficient response implemented for the protection of intellectual property rights, with the complaint, on-site enforcement, and evidence preservation all processed within just 24 hours.

Source:
https://www.samr.gov.cn/xw/zj/art/2025/art_c1adc6206f7647bbb601375c2b6e265c. html (Chinese)