(Yicai Global) April 26 -- Chinese milk tea brand Chayan Yuese has won a copyright infringement case against competitor Chayan Guanse and two other defendants for using a similar name and logo and waging almost identical advertising campaigns, a local Chinese court ruled today.

The Changsha Tianxin District People’s Court has ordered Chayan Guanse’s operator Guangzhou Luoqi Catering and the two others to pay a combined CNY1.7 million (USD262,100) in compensation to Chayan Yuese for economic losses incurred and must halt all copycat advertising and other promotional campaigns.

Since 2017, the defendants have used similar logo designs to the Changsha, central Hunan province-based beverage maker on their websites and WeChat accounts, imitated slogans and store decorations, carried out similar advertising and promotional campaigns, all of which constitute false advertising and unfair competition, the court said.

Chayan Yuese, popular for its trendy designs and modern take on a traditional drink, has more than 300 stores in Changsha and the nearby cities of Changde and Wuhan. Earlier this month it opened a pop-up store in Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province. Some 40,000 people lined up to try it out on the opening day and scalpers were selling it for more than 10 times the asking price, sparking a heated discussion on the internet, Nanfang Daily reported.

Editor: Kim Taylor