French wine merchant Castel is pursuing its trademark dispute in China at the country's Supreme Court and has said it will 'take any measures' to win.
Wine straight from the vat at Groupe-Castel
Castel has had its application for a Supreme Court hearing accepted, a spokesperson for the group told decanter.com.
Its move marks a fresh escalation in the French firm’s long-running battle with Shanghai-based distributor Panati Wine over the Ka-Si-Te trademark name in China.
In July this year, the Zhejiang Provincial Superior People’s Court ordered Castel to pay CNY34m (US$5.6m) in damages to Panati Wine for infringement of the “Ka Si Te” trademark.
Castel alleged that the decision ‘contains blatant errors and lacks objectivity’. It said that it has no choice but to pursue the case at the Supreme Court in Beijing.
‘Castel Freres is prepared to take any measures required to protect its legitimate interests in China,’ the group said.
In response to local reports last week that Castel’s assets have been frozen in China, in relation to the dispute, a group spokesperson said that it is business as usual. Castel ‘will be maintaining business activities in China and continuing to supply quality French wine to Chinese consumers’.
The group’s successful Supreme Court application means all previous rulings are ‘suspended’, the spokesperson added.
In March 2013, Castel announced it had registered the name Kasidaile as a trademark in China.
Written by Chris Mercer
