Grundfos brand gets special Chinese legal status

The ruling means that the Grundfos brand, including its Chinese wording, achieves a new level of protection in the future against copyists and counterfeits. Until now, a case will only have been possible to raise against plagiarists offering similar products and services as Grundfos. But with the “well-known” legal term, Grundfos now stand on firmer ground against misuse on all types of products and services.

“We have seen cases in the past of the Grundfos brand being used to sell not only pumps but everything from batteries to cat collars. With this ruling, we are much better equipped to act against all sorts of imitators, no matter what business they represent,” explains Rasmus Vad Andersen, Head of Legal – IPR & Compliance, Grundfos.

A milestone
With the legal prowess and image boost generated by the “well-known” status, the future looks even brighter for our Chinese business.

“Receiving the ‘well-known’ label represents a significant milestone because it recognizes Grundfos as a major, established company that has high awareness in China,” says Catherine Yang, Regional Managing Director China, Grundfos. She adds:

“We have a great team here in China. We have very loyal customers, who focus on our values and quality. Our brand is strong in the Chinese market and that is helping us.”

One of a select few
The well-known status requires brands to have a deep rooting in the Chinese market, and therefore the label is handed out carefully by the authorities.

“We become part of a select group of companies to receive this status,” says Rasmus Vad Andersen, reflecting on a long process.

“It has been a long time coming, too, as the Chinese courts take this very seriously and only grant it after a passing a massive documentation burden. This is the fruit of several years work to document Grundfos position on the market by our Chinese colleagues.”