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China Court Rules for Starbucks in Copyright Case 
Posted on Monday, January 02, 2006 - 12:00 AM

A Shanghai court ordered Shanghai Xingbake Coffee Co Ltd to stop using the name Xingbake and to pay compensation of 500,000 yuan (US$62,500) to the US-based Starbucks Corporation.
Lu Guoqiang, chief justice in the case, said Starbucks in both English and Chinese and its logo designs are deemed famous trademarks in Shanghai, thanks to their widespread use, publicity and reputation.

The court ruled that Shanghai Xingbake Coffee Co Ltd constituted illegitimate competition by using the Chinese translation of Starbucks in its company name and the translation and a similar design motif for its coffee houses.