As the concept of the metaverse continues to gain popularity, several companies including Tencent, Xiaohongshu, and iQiyi attempted to apply for trademarks related to the “metaverse” but were rejected.
According to the statement by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), more than 16,000 trademark applications containing the word “metaverse” have been filed in China.
In January, the CNIPA stated that trademarks related to the metaverse are unlikely to pass screening and that the technology itself cannot be registered as a trademark. According to
China Star Market, at the end of last year, it filed 12,000 trademark registration applications containing the word metaverse. This year, that figure was 16,000.
China-based Giant Companies Applications Denied
Chinese tech giants are among those applying for metaverse trademarks, including Tencent, ByteDance, NetEase and Baidu .
According to CNIPA records, applications from major technology companies have not been approved as of the date of publication.
The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission recently issued a warning against illegal fundraising that leverages fake metaverse projects, blockchain games, digital real estate, and cryptocurrencies.
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