Rouse has facilitated the expansion of a luxury Chinese cosmetics brand under the Yige Beauty Group, into the Indonesian market after winning a complex bad faith trademark registration dispute with a local manufacturer.
Having already established a strong presence in China, Yige Beauty Group sought to expand its reach into the Indonesian market. However, the business was initially blocked from doing so as an individual had filed multiple bad faith trade marks for Yige Beauty Group’s cosmetic brand in the region, preventing the sale of Florasis products in the country by anyone other than the trade mark holder.
Rouse managed to help Yige Beauty Group to secure its own registration when the earliest bad faith registration was removed, and the squatter’s other pending applications were not finally invalid.
Rouse's network firm in Indonesia, Suryomurcito & Co, gathered evidence to demonstrate Yige Beauty Group's prior rights by leveraging its cosmetic products’ strong presence in other markets to support the trade mark cancellation efforts in Indonesia. The evidence collected included trade mark registrations for Florasis in China and other jurisdictions, and promotional materials, including testimonials from well-known Indonesian and American cosmetic influencers highlighting the noticeable difference in product quality.
Rouse’s investigation also uncovered the motives of the trademark squatter. We found that the squatter was clearly aware of the high reputation and influence of the Florasis brand in both the China and international markets. Beyond the bad faith trade mark registration, they had already begun manufacturing and selling counterfeit products. This discovery enabled Rouse to take targeted enforcement actions against counterfeiting.
Finally, the firm had established a good and effective relationship with the Indonesian Trademark Office to suspend a number of additional bad faith registrations that were pending approval and avoid needing to remove each mark individually if approved – a process which can take years to resolve, resulting in significant costs for Yige Beauty Group.
Rouse’s ultimate victory marked a significant milestone for Yige Beauty Group, paving the way for its cosmetic brand to enter the Indonesian market and connect with its growing customer base in the Southeast Asian region. It also demonstrates the reliability and robustness of the Indonesian trade mark system for other businesses considering entering the market.
Tania Lovita, Principal at Suryomurcito & Co, a member of the Rouse Network, said: “This case underscores the critical importance of proactive trade mark protection for foreign brands entering the Indonesian market. While bad faith registrations pose a significant challenge, Yige Beauty Group's success demonstrates the effectiveness of a comprehensive IP strategy that combines robust evidence gathering, strategic enforcement action, and support of the Indonesian Trademark Office to think creatively and act at pace to overcome bad faith trademark issues. This victory not only protects Yige Beauty Group's reputation but also sends a clear message about the importance of respecting IP rights in Indonesia.”
The in-house legal team of Yige Beauty Group also commented, saying: “Our successful trade mark registration in Indonesia is critical. We are deeply thankful for Rouse’s support in this expansion strategy as its expertise and ties with local enforcement teams have enabled us to uphold our promise of delivering innovative C-beauty products to Indonesians. We’re extremely pleased to be working with a firm that understands the value of our brand image and how to best protect it across borders.”
Rouse will periodically monitor online channels for activity from any third-party sellers.
