Taiwan Blockchain Startup Accuses Mainland Chinese Firm of Plagiarizing Logo

A pile of bitcoins. George Frey/Getty Images

Taiwan-based startup HollyGold has accused a mainland Chinese company of stealing its logo to create a copycat firm.

The startup company deals with blockchain technology and its goal is to revolutionize the film and television industry with virtual currency, according to its website. HollyGold’s CEO, Dior Wu, claimed that his company’s logo and his own image were misappropriated on a Chinese website, according to media reports. He reported the website to authorities both in Taiwan and mainland China on July 28.

Wu has researched blockchain application for years. So far, he has attained three patents in the field. Wu argues that blockchain will be an important technology that will change the business model of the global film and entertainment industry.

Wu’s blockchain technology has caught the attention of Hollywood.

Christopher Bremble and Kevin Robl are working with Wu to issue digital currencies exclusive to the film industry. Bremble is the founder of BaseFX, a three-time Emmy Award winner for visual effects and animation. Robl is a Hollywood financier and member of the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Robl said in a video for HollyGold that all industries around the world are suffering from the impact of the pandemic and Hollywood is no exception. Given the current 5G wireless technology and streaming service platforms, he believes that if they are combined with the application of blockchain technology, it might be possible to revolutionize the business model of the entire Hollywood industry.

Plagiarism: An Epidemic in Corporate China

Many Chinese companies have been accused of copyright infringement or intellectual property theft in recent years.

In 2018, a Chinese company called Natural Mill in English began opening stores that looked similar in aesthetic and logo as the Japan-based retailer Muji. The Chinese brand used the same kanji (Chinese symbols used in Japanese script)  characters as Muji.

A smartphone with the Huawei and 5G network logo is seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration picture taken on Jan. 29, 2020. Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters

In another example, in July 2010, Motorola Inc. sued Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies, alleging a multiyear plot by Huawei’s senior management to steal proprietary trade secrets from Motorola. The lawsuit alleges that a few Motorola employees, including Pan Shaowei and Jin Hanjuan, colluded with Huawei representatives, including Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei, to steal proprietary technology.