Daughter of Bruce Lee sues China restaurant chain for patent infringement

TAIPEI, Dec 28, 2019, Taiwan News. Shannon Lee (李香凝), daughter of martial arts film star Bruce Lee (李小龍), has filed a lawsuit against Chinese restaurant chain Kungfu (真功夫) for using her father in its business logo for 15 years, Taiwan News reported.

As the CEO of Bruce Lee Enterprises, Lee pointed out that Kungfu’s franchise logo features a martial arts fighter dressed in a yellow jumpsuit who closely resembles the Hong Kong-American actor and martial artist. Lee demanded that the fast-food chain cease using her father as its logo and publish an official apology in major newspapers for 90 consecutive days.

The 50-year-old businesswoman also asked the owners of Kungfu to provide RMB$210 million (US$30 million) worth of compensation as well as approximately RMB$88,000 (US$12,600) in attorney fees. According to CNA, Bruce Lee Enterprises has filed its case in Shanghai’s No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court, but a court session has yet to be held.

On Thursday (Dec. 26), Kungfu responded on its Weibo account, saying that the company’s current logo was authorized by the Trademark Office of China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) after strict examination and that it is curious that Lee has accused the restaurant brand for patent infringement after 15 years of operations, reported Liberty Times.

Founded in 1990, Kungfu is known for selling bowls of rice with traditional Chinese dishes, such as Mapo tofu and garlic chili eggplant. It was ranked as the eighth most popular fast-food restaurant in China by Chinese media in 2014 and currently has 602 locations across the country.