New Balance won a "record payout in a Chinese trademark case" after three local shoemakers were found to have infringed the brand's "N" logo, according to Dave Lee of the BBC. A Chinese court awarded the U.S. sportswear firm more than 10M yuan ($1.5M). Lawyers believe it to be the "highest award to a foreign company in a trademark dispute in China." The country has been "tightening its laws to tackle the widespread problem of trademark abuse." A court in Suzhou, China, "handed down a ruling last week against three defendants for infringing the American apparel-maker's iconic trademark, and the deceptive promotion of their products." Law firm Squire Patton Boggs Senior Global Brand Protection Consultant Paolo Beconcini said, "It's definitely the largest trademark award to a foreign company." He added that recent legislative reforms have "significantly boosted brand protection." Beconcini: "China is not what it was in 2001. Rights can be enforced in China ... you can win cases." Last year, NBA Fall of Famer Michael Jordan "won a trademark dispute in China's supreme court" (BBC, 8/24).
