Well-known trademark protection is a core system of trademark law, which provides expanded protection for brands with high reputation and influence. In recent years, malicious trademark squatting and cross-class imitation have become increasingly common, making cross-class protection of well-known trademarks a key issue in trademark practice. To intuitively and concretely interpret the applicable rules of relevant laws and judicial interpretations, this article takes a typical administrative judgment of the Beijing Intellectual Property Court as a practical example, and discusses the recognition criteria of well-known trademarks and the application rules of cross-class protection under Article 13(3) of the 2019 Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China. This case is typical and representative, as it involves a world-renowned luxury automobile brand, covers cross-class protection from Class 12 automobiles to Class 18 luggage and other goods, and fully reflects the core considerations of judicial practice in identifying well-known trademarks and judging cross-class protection, which can provide clear guidance for the understanding and application of the system.
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