On February 24th, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued a notice announcing the legally justified rejection of a batch of trademark applications for "DeepSeek" and other similar marks, aiming to uphold fair market competition and protect the legitimate rights and interests of innovative entities.
The notice points out that DeepSeek, an AI large language model developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd., has recently garnered significant global attention, with its technological prowess and market potential attracting considerable notice.
Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, licensed through Midjourney.
However, certain companies and individuals, with improper motives, have engaged in malicious trademark squatting, registering "DEEPSEEK" and related graphic trademarks identical to the renowned AI large language model's name, and submitting trademark registration applications to the Trademark Office of the CNIPA. Some trademark agencies are even suspected of involvement, providing illegal services, with their intention to "leverage the hype" and gain undue profits being quite evident.
In response, the CNIPA has clearly stated its zero-tolerance policy towards such malicious trademark squatting and its firm commitment to combating it. In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the CNIPA has legally rejected a total of 63 trademark registration applications, including application No. 82848449 for "DEEPSEEK".
