Sunday, August 18, 2013

Electric car maker seeks 'Snowden' trademark



Car maker HYLX presents its newly-developed electric car, the "Snowden", at an auto show held in Beijing. The hood bearing the ex-CIA whistleblower's photo reads "electric car with Snowden secret technologies". 
An electric vehicle company in Beijing applied to trademark the name "Snowden" for their newly-developed technology on August 15, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Zhu Hefeng, chairman of Beijing Hong Yuan Lan Xiang (HYLX), submitted an application to trademark English and Chinese name of the ex-CIA whistleblower, Si Nuo Deng, for new patent-pending technologies they had developed.
Zhu explained he wanted the name "Snowden" because his technology involves many technological secrets, just like Edward Snowden, said the report.
Zhu had also exhibited one of his cars at a recent Beijing auto show bearing a huge headshot of Edward Snowden on the hood and a license plate that said "Snowden".
Surprisingly, China's Trademark Office of The State Administration revealed a Fujian clothing company had already registered the Chinese name, Si Nuo Deng, in 2010.
According to a trademark law expert, the government agency may reject Zhu's application on grounds that any name deemed to have a negative effect or influence on social morals can not be registered.

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