【新唐人2012年2月24日讯】华裔美籍的NBA新起之秀林书豪，最近在NBA掀起了一股旋风，他的市场价值也跟着水涨船高。眼尖的商人早在去年就抢先注册了“林书豪”商标。林书豪的代理律师帕姆‧迪瑟表示，现在他们已经准备要好好的保护林书豪的知识产权，球迷为他取的“Linsanity”（林来疯）的外号，林书豪已经申请这个商标的使用权。
在过去两周的时间，林书豪从一个默默无闻甚至不被看好的板凳球员，摇身一变成为众所瞩目的篮坛巨星，林书豪“疯”潮不仅带动了NBA票价飙涨，周边商机也跟着发酵，网路上近1,000项林书豪相关商品，包括球员卡、球衣等都成为瞩目焦点。不过，这样的热潮是不是能给林书豪带来相应的利益，也是大众关注的热点。
林书豪在“尼克斯”队的17号球衣是目前NBA线上商店最畅销的球衣，跟他相关的各类纪念品也都被球迷抢购一空。各路商家看上了林书豪所带动的巨大商机，开始贩售与林书豪有关的商品。大陆无锡商人虞敏洁更是早在去年就将“林书豪”注册商标。
体育用品商虞敏洁，凭着经验判断，林书豪很可能在不久的将来成为继姚明之后另一个闪耀世界的华人NBA球星。于是向工商总局商标局递交了“Jeremy S.H.L 林书豪”的商标申请，分别申请了25和28两大门类的商标。
这两项商标究竟有多大的商业价值？
据美国《福布斯》杂志评估，仅“林书豪”这个名字的价值就约1亿元人民币，虞敏洁却只花费了4460元。以后林书豪要前往中国发展，想在中国使用“Jeremy S.H.L 林书豪”商标的话，则必须得到这家企业的授权。
2月14号，林书豪在美国提出“Linsanity”商标使用权的申请，使用权涵盖内衣裤、玩具公仔，饮料以及背包等等。而在林书豪之前，加利福尼亚也有两位商人抢先注册了“Linsanity”这个商标。林书豪这一次注册商标，预示着他已经拿起法律武器保护自己的权益。
同样问题也发生在美国职篮NBA前超级巨星麦可乔丹（Michael Jordan）身上，乔丹2月22号宣布，他已经对大陆一家企业提出侵权诉讼。
大陆抢注商标情况泛滥，林书豪有可能拿回他的商标权吗？
北京“天昊联合知识产权代理有限公司”张律师表示，国外品牌没有进入到大陆，被抢注的现象比较普遍，因为中国讲的是申请在先原则。
张律师：“如果国外这些品牌，根本没有进入到中国，他在中国肯定知名度是没有的，这就导致一个问题就是说，他在国外很有名，但是在中国没有名的这种商标被抢注了，这种情况下就比较难办，就是说给他撤销掉。”
“上海领秀律师事务所”法律服务集团施律师表示，中国盗版盛行，产权人得不到应该有的尊重和利益，主要还是因为法治不健全导致的。
施律师：“只能说是如果他将来滥用这个商标，生产各种假冒伪劣商品或是劣等品的话，然后对林书豪这名字造成伤害的话，这商标造成伤害的话，是可以依法注销的。”
北京“天昊联合知识产权代理有限公司”苏律师也表示，申请商标注册时，在同类商品中如果没有相同名称的注册，通常都会得到授权，但是如果注册后没有实际使用，或将来有人对这个商标提出异议，可以提出无效申请。
苏律师：“只要是从法律上来说，程序上只要是商标局界定是恶意抢注，那就不存在侵权行为了。但你可能是一年前注册上的，而且得到了商标局这个商标注册证，结果会作废，变成是无效。”
虽然中国已经加入国际知识产权会员，但是因为商业间存在潜规则，很少真正遵守国际规章，施律师表示，如果法治健全，把一切都摆明的话，潜规则就会晒在阳光之下，它就不会再这样盛行了。
新唐人记者易如、李庭、萧宇采访报导。
Linsanity: China’s Preemptive Registration
Chinese-American NBA new star, Jeremy Shu-How Lin,
set off a whirlwind of public interest in basketball.
The stardom hiked Lin’s market value as well.
In 2011, an insightful businessman in China filed
preemptive registration for the trademark “Jeremy SHL”
Pam Deese, Jeremy Lin’s attorney in the US, said they are
prepared to protect Lin’s intellectual property rights.
And Jeremy Lin has filed his own application to register
“Linsanity" as a trademark, the nickname given by his fans.
In the past two weeks, Jeremy Lin drew widespread attention
on his soaring to stardom from an unknown bench player.
The tidal wave of Linsanity boosted NBA ticket prices,
and led to a high-sale of related merchandises.
Nearly 1,000 Lin-related goods are being sold online,
like player cards and jerseys, all attracting public attention.
Whether Lin himself will benefit from this boom
is a wide concern.
Lin’s jersey number with the New York Knicks is 17.
This jersey is now a best-seller at the NBA online store.
All kinds of Lin-related souvenirs are snapped up by fans.
Lin’ fancy shapes up as a huge business opportunity.
Early in 2011, Yu Minjie, Wuxi-based businessman
trademarked the term “Jeremy SHL”
As a sporting goods businessman, Yu predicted Jeremy Lin
would be another shining Chinese NBA star, after Yao Ming.
Yu thus filed an application with China’s Trademark Office
to register “Jeremy SHL”, under two categories.
What is the commercial value of the trademark
under these two categories?
The name “Jeremy SHL” alone is worth RMB 100 million,
according to the evaluation of Forbes magazine.
Yet it merely cost Yu Minjie
RMB 4,460 for the registration.
In China Jeremy Lin will have to get Yu’s authorization
before using the trademark name “Jeremy SHL”
On Feb. 14, Jeremy Lin applied in the U.S.
for the trademark “Linsanity”
The filing of “Linsanity” is reported to be used for goods,
such as clothing, toys, beverages, bags, among others.
Before Lin’s own filing, two separate trademark applications
for the same term were made by Californian businessmen.
Jeremy Lin’s application indicates that he resorted
to the law to safeguard his interests.
NBA’s top superstar Michael Jordan
faced similar problem.
On Feb. 22, Jordan announced his infringement proceeding
against an enterprise in mainland China.
The preemptive trademark registration in China seems
abusive. Will Jeremy Lin take back his trademark rights?
Zhang, a lawyer from Tee & Howe Intellectual Property
Attorneys, says China adopts first-to-file principle for trademarks’ registration.
In China, preemptive registration of foreign trademarks
is common before brands enter the market, Zhang affirms.
Zhang (lawyer): “These foreign brands certainly aren’t
well-known in China prior to entering China’s market.
This gives rise to a problem. That is, trademarks’ registration
of some world renowned brands are forestalled in China.
This makes it hard to deal with afterwards,
that is to annul the registration."
Shi, lawyer at Shanghai-based No.1 Law Firm,
speaks of widespread piracy in China.
Intellectual property rights cannot be guaranteed.
Shi thinks the reason is due to the unsound rule of law.
Shi (lawyer): “If he abuses the trademark, producing fake
or shoddy goods that harm the goodwill of Jeremy Lin, the registration can be revoked according to the law."
Su, another lawyer of Beijing’ Tee & Howe, says trademark
registration is generally granted if there is no same-term application for a congener commodity.
If it is not used after registration or some demur is raised
in the future, then a petition for invalidation can be filed.
Su (lawyer): “Legally, if the Trademark Office defines it as
a malicious preemptive registration, it’s not an infringement.
But a petition for invalidation may be filed
and the registration will finally be annulled.”
China has joined the International Association
for the Protection of Intellectual Property.
Due to existing hidden business rules, few international
regulations are truly followed in mainland China.
Lawyer Shi says if there is a sound rule of law and everything
is public, hidden rules will not be rampant like they are now.
NTD reporters Yi Ru, Li Ting and Xiao Yu
