The Wall Street Journal article linked below highlights the continuing peril in ignoring the Chinese market in the early stages of brand development. Briefly, Donald Trump was forced to engage in protracted and costly legal proceedings in order to register the TRUMP brand for real estate agency services. As is common, a Chinese national previously registered the TRUMP brand, almost surely in anticipation that someday the real Donald Trump would come along and be forced to pay dearly for the right to use his own name. Donald being Donald, he opted to fight rather than pay. However most trademark owners have neither the resources nor the will to fight such a battle.

While China might seem a distant market early in the effort to build an international brand, the cost to register today is exponentially less than the cost to reclaim your brand from an enterprising Chinese citizen tomorrow.

The article can be read at (requires a subscription): http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-scores-legal-win-in-china-trademark-dispute-1479169494

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