Pfizer Loses Viagra Trademark Battle In China
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Beijing Municipal Higher People's Court has rejected Pfizer's claims of trademark infringement and unfair competition against Guangzhou Welman Pharmaceutical and three other companies. The final verdict ended Pfizer's 10-year legal battle to secure the rights for Viagra's Chinese name "Weige" in China, trademarked by Welman in 1998. Welman says it has lost substantial marketshare in its erectile dysfunction drug over the past decade to counterfeit Viagra, which is the real rival. The firm does not dismiss the possibility of collaborating with Pfizer, including having joint use of the Weige trademark, to crack down on fake Viagra to reach a win-win situation. (Click here for more - Chinese Language)