Because trademarks are granted at the discretion of foreign governments and can be enormously valuable, they can be problematic for US officials
A group of Senate Democrats sent a letter to U. S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, requesting information about a raft of trademark approvals from China this year that they say may violate the U. S. Constitution’s ban on gifts from foreign governments.
“China’s rapid approvals after years of court battles have raised questions as to whether the trademarks will prevent you from standing up to China on behalf of American workers and their businesses, ” the eight senators, led by Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow and Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal, wrote.
China’s most recent nod for a Trump trademark, covering clothing, came on May 6, bringing to 40 the number of marks China has granted or provisionally granted to the president and a related company, DTTM Operations LLC, since his inauguration. If there are no objections, provisional approvals are formally registered after 90 days. China has also rejected or partially rejected nine Trump trademarks since the inauguration.
Trademarks give the holder monopoly rights to a brand in a given market. In many jurisdictions, like China, they can also be filed defensively, to prevent squatters from using a name.
