The Zhejiang Agricultural Technology Promotion Center has sued a tea company in Jiangsu province for using its "Longjing Tea" trademark without authorization, in the latest effort by the   center to protect its well-established green tea brand in China.  

A district court in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang, heard the case last week but has not yet ruled, according to local media.

The Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce approved the registration of "Longjing Tea" by the center as a geographical indication certification trademark in 2008.

To protect the trademark, the provincial agricultural authority plans to ask government agencies including the administration for industry and commerce to investigate and punish those who make and sell fake "Longjing Tea", local media reported.

The center also applied to register the trademark in 43 countries and regions and received a registration certificate from the Madrid system for the international registration of marks, as well as approval notices from other countries including Spain, Italy, Germany and the United States. 

Government agencies in Zhejiang are carrying out a campaign that lasts until July to supervise the quality of Longjing tea and the use of the trademark in the legal production areas of the tea. When the campaign ends, they will publish a list of businesses that have the right to use the trademark.

(Source: China Daily)