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2 January 2020TrademarksSarah Morgan

Bruce Lee’s daughter takes on Chinese fast-food chain

The daughter of the late-martial artist and actor Bruce Lee has accused a Chinese fast-food chain of using his image in its logo without permission.

California-based Bruce Lee Enterprises, a company run by Shannon Lee, sued Kungfu Catering Management for allegedly using her father’s image in a logo for 15 years, according to the South China Morning Post.

Lee is reportedly seeking compensation of 210 million yuan (US$30 million) and for the fast-food chain to clarify it is not connected to Bruce Lee.

The Guangzhou-based restaurant chain, which is known as Real Kung Fu, was founded in 1990. Its current logo features the image of a dark-haired man in a long-sleeved yellow shirt, standing in a pose similar to Bruce Lee’s famed ‘ready to strike’ pose.

On its Weibo account, Real Kungfu said it was “puzzled” by the lawsuit, as it has used the logo for the past 15 years, and that it was preparing to respond.

The case comes amid China’s commitment to further increase penalties for IP infringement, as the government aims to finalise a trade deal with the US.

US President Donald Trump has announced he will sign a “very large and comprehensive” trade deal with China on January 15.

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Trademarks
10 August 2018   Bruce Lee Enterprises, the entity that manages the rights of late martial arts star Bruce Lee, has lost a trademark battle against a UK-based theatre company.