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Monks battle use of "Shaolin" as trademark
( 2002-09-25 15:48 ) (8 )

Shaolin Temple monks, most famous for boxing, are finding themselves caught up in a new kind of fight, one to protect their temple's name.

The outside world is engaging the monks, normally considered to be far removed from worldly activities, in a "war" to prevent the name of the temple in central China's Henan Province from being abused in commercial activities.

Shaolin Temple, built at Songshan Mountain, central China's Henan Province, in 496 during the Northern and Southern dynasties (420-581), is considered the birthplace of the famous Shaolin Boxing, a unique combination of Buddhist and Chinese martial arts.

The militia monks of Shaolin gained fame during the early Tang Dynasty (618-907) by helping Li Shimin, the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty, to suppress a local feudal ruler who wanted to set up a separate government by force.

Shaolin Boxing has been gaining influence worldwide as actors of Chinese origin, such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, use its stunts in a wide range of overseas films.

The current battle involves the registration of "Shaolin" or " Shaolin Temple" as tradmarks all over the world. A random survey conducted by the China Trademark and Patent Affairs Agency in 11 countries and regions on five continents shows that, except for Hong Kong, these areas have been caught up in the craze, registering 117 items with the name.

Take China itself + more than 100 businesses, in sectors including automobiles, furniture, foods, alcoholic beverages and medicine, are churning out commodities bearing the trademark of " Shaolin."

A growing abuse of Shaolin as a trademark in internationalcommercial activities in past years have dragged the monks into awar of self defense.

Henan Shaolin Temple Industrial Development Ltd. Co. has beenset up to take charge of protecting and administrating theintangible assets of Shaolin Temple in a systematic way in a bidto safeguard the legitimate rights of the temple and ban abusiveuse of the temple's name in commercial activities, said ShiYongxin, abbot of Shaolin Temple.

In the meantime, the temple has made efforts to register " Shaolin" and "Shaolin Temple" as trademarks with the GeneralAdministration for Industry and Commerce of China.

By August this year, Shaolin Temple had received certificatesof registration for over 43 items, according to the abbot.

Registration of Shaolin Temple as trademarks overseas has alsobeen stepped up. "It is in the benefit of Shaolin Temple forprotecting trademarks internationally," said Shi Yongxin.

After negotiations, Rainer Deyhle, a German businessman,decided to give 11 trademarks he registered in the European Union(EU) two years ago to Shaolin Temple without charge, and thelatter will cooperate with the German businessman in setting up aShaolin cultural center in Germany, where two monks from thetemple will give lectures all year round.

After more than a year's effort, Shaolin Temple has alsoprocured the rights of prior applications for five registered " Shaolin" trademarks in Australia.

"It is our unshirkable historical responsibilities to protectand rejuvenate the culture of Shaolin," added Shi Yongxin.