Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Smee]

From The Marmot's Hole:

In February, JP of Japundit noted how Starbucks was duking it out with Asian coffee houses that were using logos that resembled Starbucks�. Well, a Korean court has ruled against the global coffeehouse chain in its case against local coffee chain Starpreya, explaining that the logos just weren�t similar enough.

In case you wanted to know how state-owned news agency Yonhap was reporting the decision, here�s how it begins:

[djsmnc]

[mindmetoo]

Weird. Not long ago a Korean court handed a victory to Mary Quant who accused Missha of copying their logo. And last year Chocomite (or something like that) lost a case to Nestle for copying the Nestle package.



vs Mary Quant:











Not so much a copy but I found this in the Seoul Science Museum... like why spend billions to put a man on the moon when you can just make a little model and plant a Korean flag in your diorama. Would it kill Koreans to put an American flag there?

[Novernae]

They might have fallen to their knees, but only because it's such a rediculous ruling.

They could always go after the chicken joint Stardacks (logo: green circle with stars and a Starbucksy looking chicken in the middle)

[Guri Guy]

I don't think Korea will ever be considered a major world player until they clean up their act regarding copyright infringements. Their is no respect for other's intellectual property. However when the shoe is on the other foot...

I found it assuming that Korea was so angry with China over some Chinese automobile technology theft. It was more assuming when the Korean company's (Ssangyong I believe) lawsuit was quickly dropped
when China mentioned Korea's own tendancies in that area.

[flotsam]

[Zoidberg]

My brother was telling me that some reading he had at university was suggesting that Korea and China have such a disregard for intellectual property because Confucianism rejects the notion of ideas being property.

[Dev]

[buster brown]

There's a discussion article at Breaking News English about Starbucks winning a copyright violation suit in China in either 2004 or 2005. The company was charged something like US$50,000 and told to change their logo. When I was in Shanghai this past August, the same company is still open using the same logo on the east end of Nanjing Lu, down toward the Bund. It seems that the ruling was mostly symbolic, and never meant to be enforced.

For my classes, I've printed out copies of Starbucks', Xingbake's (Chinese), and Starpreya's logos. We look at the similarities and talk about why Korean courts have consistently refused to support Starbucks' claims. Most of the students seem ashamed that such an obvious ripoff isn't shut down, especially when Starbucks operates in the same market. Until now they've all been hopeful that the ruling would change as the case went up the ladder, but it seems that's not going to happen.

[mindmetoo]

[mindmetoo]

[Dev]

[quote="buster brown"]There's a discussion article at Breaking News English about Starbucks winning a copyright violation suit in China in either 2004 or 2005. The company was charged something like US$50,000 and told to change their logo. When I was in Shanghai this past August, the same company is still open using the same logo on the east end of Nanjing Lu, down toward the Bund. It seems that the ruling was mostly symbolic, and never meant to be enforced.
quote]

I saw a sign in a public market in Shanghai saying (in English) that anybody selling pirate goods would be prosecuted. Very laughable since I'd say 90% of what they sell in that market is fake goods.

[hellofaniceguy]

This has been covered before...but....pray tell me koreans....name 5 things that koreans have invented that the world benefits from? A 5000 year old history....surly you can name hundreds!
And I mean actually invented....not copied and call it korean.
OK then...name 4 things.
3?

[bluelake]

Many years ago (maybe sixteen or so), there was a chain in Korea that called itself Big Boy and even completely swiped the logo. It had nothing to do with the Elias Brothers' chain. I tried a "burger" (if you want to call it that) there; it was terrible--the typical ground up and pressed mystery-meat patty, with thousand island dressing and an apple slice.

I took the wrapper (which had Korean contact info on it) and handed it to the manager of the local B.B. in my hometown. Funny how that rip-off place was gone when I returned after my break.

The other fake that tasted terrible was the Ace1 steak sauce.

[mindmetoo]