In April, Sotheby’s, the London based Auction House, sued three Hong Kong-registered companies that used the name “Su Fu Bi,” written with the same Chinese characters Sotheby’s uses to write its name in Chinese.The three businesses are straw companies for a Chinese auction group also called “Su Fu Bi” did not defend themselves, and the Hong Kong court ruled in Sotheby’s favour earlier this week.
Sotheby’s apparently plans to take action against the Chinese group, which promotes itself as if related to Sotheby’s. The Chinese group has registered numerous “Su Fu Bi” trademarks in mainland China since 2003, and Sotheby’s claims that the activities damage their international reputation.
