The prestigious Zhejiang University in eastern China has registered its eagle-shaped pattern on the school emblem as a trademark, sparking heated discussion on social media that the move was aimed at preventing a possible legal battle with the luxury brand Armani.
The eagle in the university’s badge bears a striking visual resemblance to the logo of the Italian high-end fashion brand, the China Business News reported.
Many Chinese netizens said the university – based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province – did the right thing by registering its trademark to avoid any potential lawsuit, given that the domestic milk tea brand Molly Tea was recently ordered to pay 10.3 million yuan (US$1.5 million) to the French luxury house Louis Vuitton for infringing seven of LV’s registered four-petal flower trademarks.
The topic came under the spotlight after receiving more than 400 million views on Weibo alone.
Zhejiang University’s round badge contains both the Chinese and English names of the school, along with an eagle in the centre and the number 1897 below. The number represents the university’s founding on the legacy of Qiushi Academy, which was established in 1897.
The eagle is said to symbolise a spirit of enterprise and exploration.
According to Zhang Yifeng, a consultant from Hangzhou Henghui Trademark Affairs Firm who represents Zhejiang University, the school registered the eagle pattern as its trademark at the end of last year because many small companies printed the design on their products.
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