Foreign firms need a right Chinese name in China

Feb. 2, 2010 - PRLog -- Beijing, China, February 2, 2010   The China Daily recently commented that overseas companies may have a number of reasons for not having a presence in China but one of the major ones, according to some, may be their local names.

Take Google as an example.  In 2006, Google launched its website search engine in China with the name “Guge” which in Chinese literally means “harvesting song”.  However, Chinese internet considered the name to be strange and unsophisticated.  The dissatisfaction of Chinese users drove a group of Chinese Google fans to create a site called noguge.com, aimed at collecting suggestions for alternative names for the company.

“Many foreign firms don't pay enough attention to their Chinese names. Some fail to research the culture while others choose characters that put potential customers off” said Mr. Edward E. Lehman, Managing Director of Lehman, Lee & Xu, who is a Chicago lawyer and has been working in China for over 20 years.  “Our trademark attorneys, not only work with clients to ensure that the tradename and trademark are legally protected, we work with clients to ensure that the Chinese company name and trademark fits with Chinese culture and will be well received by Chinese consumers.”  

“Compared with other factors such as a good business model, quality investment and having a strong relationship with the local government, possessing a good Chinese name may not be the top priority for executives of many foreign businesses” said Scott Garner, Senior Foreign Counsel and Director of Lehman, Lee & Xu Shanghai office. “But in reality, many firms, even the most prestigious ones, may find that overlooking a good name can bring problems down the line.”  

Lehman, Lee & Xu’s IP practice is one of the largest and most respected in China.  Lehman, Lee & Xu routinely assists clients with choosing the right Chinese name, so that the name is not only protected by Chinese law but also has a good marketing impact in China.

For more information about Lehman, Lee & Xu, please visit the firm's website at www.lehmanlaw.com

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Lehman, Lee & Xu is a prominent Chinese corporate law firm and trademark and patent agency with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, and Mongolia. The firm is managed by Mr. Edward Lehman.