On June 24, the trademark infringement case of Guangyao Group v. JDB Group was heard in first instance at the Guangdong Provincial Higher People's Court. This lawsuit is not only the one with the highest amount in dispute among the multiple lawsuits between the two parties, but also the largest infringement claim in China's intellectual property field—Guangyao is claiming up to 2.9 billion yuan from JDB. Due to disputes over trademarks, red can packaging, and advertising slogans, the two companies have fought more than a dozen lawsuits. This time, Guangyao sued JDB for trademark infringement. On May 7, 2014, Guangyao filed a lawsuit with the Guangdong Provincial Higher People's Court, requesting that Guangdong JDB be ordered to compensate Guangyao Group for economic losses of 1 billion yuan caused by infringement of the registered trademark "Wanglaoji" from May 2, 2010 to May 19, 2012, and that JDB's six companies nationwide bear joint and several liability for compensation. In February 2015, Guangyao Group applied to change the original compensation amount of 1 billion yuan to 2.93 billion yuan. The trademark licensing relationship between Guangyao and JDB began in 1995. After the main contract expired in 2010, the two parties had many disputes over the "Wanglaoji" trademark. In May 2012, Guangyao successfully recovered the "Wanglaoji" trademark from JDB, which had operated the brand for more than a decade, and the economic claims arising from this trademark dispute were heard in court on the 24th. The focus of the trial that day centered on whether JDB's actions constituted infringement; if so, whether Wanglaoji's claim for 2.9 billion yuan in compensation was reasonable; and whether JDB should bear joint and several liability. Feng Zhimin, director of the office of the chairman of JDB Group, said that during the period in question (May 2010 to May 2012), JDB's trademark leasing behavior was entirely based on reasonable performance of the contract between Guangyao Group and Hongdao Group, and that licensing fees (totaling more than 10.12 million yuan) had been paid in full and on time, "and should absolutely not be considered infringement." JDB's attorney told Interface News that until 2009, Guangyao Group had consistently expressed its genuine intention to license JDB to use the Wanglaoji trademark until January 19, 2013, through a series of written statements, acceptance of licensing fees, and numerous correspondence. Wanglaoji, on the other hand, stated that in May 2012, the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission ruled that Hongdao Group (JDB's parent company) had no right to use the "Wanglaoji" trademark from May 3, 2010. Therefore, Guangyao Group had legitimate reasons and basis to sue JDB, demanding compensation for economic losses caused by infringement of the registered trademark "Wanglaoji" during the period in question. As for why the claim amount was increased from 1 billion yuan to 2.9 billion yuan, Guangyao previously explained in an announcement that 2.9 billion yuan was JDB's net profit during the period in question, which was estimated by Guangyao Group after commissioning an accounting firm to conduct a special analysis of JDB's annual audited balance sheets and income statements for 2010, 2011, and 2012 as recorded in the business registration files. The two herbal tea companies have been litigating for three years. To date, JDB has lost almost all cases in first instance or final appeal (about 19 lawsuits in total). JDB therefore faces a sky-high claim of about 4.6 billion yuan—in addition to this trademark infringement case, there are also cases involving red can packaging, name change, "seven consecutive championships," "fear of getting hot," and "ten cans vs. seven cans" advertising slogans. According to data from market research firm Euromonitor International, as of the end of 2015, in China's ready-to-drink tea beverage market, JDB's market share was 22%, while Guangyao's (Wanglaoji) was 10.9%. In early July, our platform will organize the third B-end e-commerce inspection tour, visiting B-end e-commerce platforms that are useful for distributors' transformation. Interested friends can long-press the QR code below to register. Organization format 1. Company visit 2. Actual market case visit 3. On-site explanation 4. One-on-one communication Each registered friend only needs to pay an organization fee of 200 yuan. Interested distributor friends can long-press the QR code below to register. 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