Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Intellectual Property StrategistKickerFeaturesTopicsLitigationSectionsNewsLJN Newsletters

Crayon Shinchan

By Vincent J. Poppiti and Mian R. Wang
June 28, 2012

Few people in the United States are likely to have heard of Crayon Shinchan, but this Japanese comic-book character is ubiquitous in China. Created in 1992 by Yoshito Usui and published in Japan by Futabasha Publishers Ltd., the comic book chronicles the antics of a high-spirited five-year-old boy, Shinchan, who is prone to indecent public exposure, propositioning older women, and peeking up women's skirts. The story line combines the mischievousness of “Calvin and Hobbes” with the crude humor of “South Park” and is widely received in Japan. Shinchan's popularity eventually invited trademark squatters in China.

By 1994, adoration for Shinchan had spread from Japan to Taiwan and Hong Kong. In 1996, anticipating Shinchan's inevitable entrance to mainland China, Guangzhou Chengyi Eyeglass Co. Ltd. (“Chengyi”) became the first to use Shinchan's image and name to register a series of trademarks in China. Thus began a legal battle implicating Futabasha's copyrights and trademark rights over the incorrigible five-year-old.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

The Bankruptcy Hotline Image

Recent cases of importance to your practice.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

How AI Has Affected PR Image

When we consider how the use of AI affects legal PR and communications, we have to look at it as an industrywide global phenomenon. A recent online conference provided an overview of the latest AI trends in public relations, and specifically, the impact of AI on communications. Here are some of the key points and takeaways from several of the speakers, who provided current best practices, tips, concerns and case studies.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.