Domestic Food Companies Win Lawsuit Against 'Fake Buldakmyeon and Dasida'

Four domestic food companies filed copyright and trademark infringement lawsuits in China against Chinese companies that had been selling products imitating their own, and it has been confirmed that most of the cases were won.

According to the related industry on the 24th, the Korea Food Industry Association formed a "Joint Council to Eradicate K-Food Counterfeits" in December 2021 with four companies: CJ CheilJedang, Samyang Foods, Daesang, and Ottogi, and filed intellectual property (IP) infringement lawsuits in Chinese courts against Qingdao Taiyangcho Food and Jeongdo Food in China.

This was the first time a joint infringement lawsuit was conducted. According to the Korea Food Industry Association, Qingdao Taiyangcho Food and Jeongdo Food in China acted as distributors for domestic food companies while producing similar products that copied popular K-Food trademarks and designs, selling them throughout China.

Accordingly, the association and companies simultaneously filed seven IP infringement lawsuits concerning Samyang Foods' Buldak Bokkeum Myun, CJ CheilJedang's Dasida, sugar, and salt, Daesang's Miwon, anchovy sauce, and seaweed, and Ottogi's dangmyeon.

It is reported that Chinese courts ruled in favor of the Korean food companies in five of these cases. Additionally, the compensation amounts that the Chinese companies must pay are known to be 250,000 yuan for CJ CheilJedang, 350,000 yuan for Samyang Foods, and 200,000 yuan for Daesang.