"Bolt's shooting-arrow pose is very beautiful, but it doesn't mean he has the exclusive rights," said Ba Yingchun, deputy general manager of the company. "The design of the trademark is just an artistic representation of real life and has no connection with Bolt himself."
Bolt and many other sport stars have found themselves victims of a trademark rush, especially after the Olympic Games.
In 2008 after the Beijing Olympics, a woman in Fujian province named Xu Luying filed a trademark application for UgoBolt at the administration, a name combining Bolt's surname and his nickname Ugo.
The trademark was declined in last May following objections from Bolt's team.
Using celebrity names as trademarks "seems unreasonable but applications always get approved", said Zhao Zhanling, a lawyer and researcher at China University of Social Science and Law.
"According to the trademark law, whoever applies for a trademark first is likely to have it and the law allows using people's names as trademarks," he explained.
But he also noted that celebrities can file objections during the three-month trademark review period and can also later file to revoke trademarks.
"It is an effective marketing strategy for companies to use the images of Olympic champions in their branding, but they must use legal means," said Zhao. "They can build up partnerships with celebrities to avoid infringement on their rights."
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