Majority of Chinese consumers value trademark protection: survey

BEIJING -- Chinese consumers have a relatively high level of awareness when it comes to intellectual property rights with the majority valuing trademark protection, an industrial survey showed.

About 85 percent of the surveyed consumers said they pay attention to genuine trademarks when purchasing products, according to a joint report by domestic commercial data analysis firm CBNData and global toy giant LEGO Group, citing the results of 2,000 online questionnaires.

The report showed that 69 percent of the surveyed consumers agree with the importance of trademark protection, and will act accordingly during their purchases.

Chinese consumers believe that trademark protection will help nurture a fair competition environment, maintain corporate image and reputation, and protect consumer rights and interests, according to the report.

By the end of June, China had about 40.55 million effective registered trademarks, up 20.9 percent compared with one year ago, data from the China National Intellectual Property Administration showed.

"As a multinational company which has a long-term commitment in China, we really appreciate the Chinese authorities' continuous efforts in creating a more favorable business environment through all of this hard work and advancement in the IP area, as well as others," said Robin Smith, vice president and general counsel of China & Asia Pacific, LEGO Group.