UPDATE : Monday, September 7, 2020
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HOME Pharma
Korea United Pharm wages war on Chinese fake capsules
  • By So Jae-hyeon
  • Published 2018.06.01 12:05
  • Updated 2018.06.01 12:05
  • comments 0

Korea United Pharm said it would seek compensation for damages against a Chinese company for infringing on a trademark of “Homtamin Soft Cap.” and using an unauthorized name of the Korean company.

Counterfeit of Homtamin sold in China

In China, the Korean drugmaker has Hometamin’s trademark rights in Chinese characters and English marks in designated product groups under Category 5 (vitamins, medicinal capsules), Category 30 (non-medical nutrition capsules), and Category 35 (advertising).

According to Korea United Pharm, the Chinese firm identified only by the capital letter S put the label “HOMTAMIN” on the bottle of the counterfeit vitamin capsules, infringing the trademark of the Korean firm.

The Chinese company also marked “KOREA UNITED PHARM” as the manufacturer of the capsules, possibly violating China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law.

The Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency (KIPPA) recently picked Korea United Pharm to give support in dealing with Chinese imitations, as part of the agency’s consulting service to prevent international disputes over intellectual property.

With the KIPPA’s support, Korea United Pharm plans to demand administrative actions and compensation for damages.

The KIPPA’s consulting program aims to enhance the competitiveness of Korean exporters by helping them prevent intellectual property disputes with foreign rivals.

Homtamin soft capsules obtained China’s approval in 1999 as health functional foods, containing Korean ginseng extracts and multivitamins.

In China, winning the nod for imported products as health functional foods is deemed challenging. Most of the Korean ginseng products are categorized as general foods in China. However, Homtamin is on sale as health functional foods with legitimate approval there.

“Because Homtamin’s excellence has been proven in China, it is highly likely that we could face counterfeited products in other countries,” Korea United Pharm CEO Kang Duk-young said. “If another dispute occurs, we will take appropriate steps in the same way we have been dealing with fake Hometamin capsules.”

sjh@docdocdoc.co.kr

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