Fans of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) could soon be sued for duplicating Han’s “vegetable vending CEO Han Kuo-yu” logo.
Han on Feb. 20 had applied to copyright the logo: a cabbage with the words “vegetable vending CEO Han Kuo-yu,” Intellectual Property Office data showed.
The address of the applicant was the same as the Victoria Academy in Yunlin County, which was established by Han’s wife, Lee Chia-fen (李佳芬).
Screengrab from the Intellectual Property Office Web site
The application that seeks to restrict the use of the logo on a wide range of merchandise — such as kaoliang liquor, key chains, posters, calendars, notebooks, paper boxes, shopping bags, fans, utensils, bottled water, publications and apparel — is being revised, the office said.
No one has expressed interest in using the logo on the aforementioned items, but there is also an application to register the trademark “Han Kuo-yu qigong” (韓國瑜氣功) for CDs, e-books and electronic files, office data showed.
The office is also reviewing an application to trademark the phrase “Korean fish” (韓國魚) — a homophone of Han’s name that has become popular online — for use on jam products, tea leaves, restaurants, and bed and breakfasts.
It is not uncommon for popular politicians to release merchandise, regardless of whether they are running an election campaign. One well-known example is the A-bian (阿扁) beanie and its variants released by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
However, it is rare for politicians to register their names as trademarks, political observers said.
The Kaohisung City Government for now would not sue night-market vendors who use Han’s likeness, but has decided to register the cabbage and the title to prevent unauthorized or improper use, Kaohsiung Information Bureau Director-General Anne Wang (王淺秋) said on Friday.
As demand for the logo has been growing, the city government would look to collaborate with brands and businesses, she said, adding that it would require that part of the proceeds be donated to charity.
She did not elaborate on whether Han applied for the registration in the name of a public agency or for personal purposes.
Documentary director Kevin Lee (李惠仁) raised doubts about the legality of the application.
The logo is the Han family’s private asset, but the application was allegedly filed by the municipal government, which could have caused a conflict of interest, he said on Facebook.
In other news, Han, a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), yesterday said that he had received donations from businesspeople during his election campaign last year, but not from KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義).
He was responding to former KMT legislator Alex Tsai’s (蔡正元) allegation on Friday that Han had received NT$40 million (US$1.29 million) from Wu for his campaign.
Additional reporting by Huang Chia-lin and Chen Yun
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