China’s woe for ‘Downton Abbey wines’

Although an official Downton Abbey Wine Collection has now been released, it looks as though its winemakers could miss out on the lucrative Chinese market as a result of the country’s trademark laws.

A series of applications for the rights to use the name “Downton Abbey” have been made to China’s national trademarks office.

The Chinese government has already granted permission to a Chinese businessman Li Xiaojun to use the trademark of Downton Abbey on bottles of wine and spirits, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

The move could result in the production of unofficial products across the country, meaning that the show’s producers will miss out on the subsequent income.

The Downton Abbey Wine Collection was launched this week by US wine merchant Wines That Rock, together with winemakers Dulong Grands Vins de Bordeaux. It’s officially licensed from the series through Knockout Licensing.

However, unlike in the UK, registration for domain names in China is based on the “first-to-file” principle according to China trademark law, which means the trademark simply goes to the first to register in a particular class.

Downton Abbey is hugely popular in China, with more than 160 million Chinese watching the show. This is more than double the number of people who live in the UK.

“There is a huge appetite for British culture particularly among young, fashionable Chinese,” says Briony Hanson, director of film for the British Council.