| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder(s) | Michael Tien |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong |
| Key people | Michael Tien |
| Products | Apparel |
| Website | http://www.g2000.com.hk |
G2000 (Generation 2000; Chinese: 縱橫二千; pinyin: zòng héng èr qiān) is a clothing brand featuring upscale and urban-career styles for men and women, founded by Michael Tien in 1980. Tien also founded another clothing retailer U2 Clothing at the same time, which operates under the company G2000 Apparel Limited.
G2000 is also a software product for Risk Management and Claims Management by this company.
The brand was originally catered for Asian consumers and clothing sizes.
Contents |
A small company based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in the People's Republic of China, filed a Chinese trademark application for a hand-written logo of "2000" covering products including garment accessories such as gloves, scarves, and socks.
The company, 杭州市西湖区一科技咨询服务部, successfully registered the trademark in 1997. The "2000" trademark -- registration number 1094814 -- was transferred to an individual, a Mr Zhao (赵), in 2005.
In 2006-2007, Mr Zhao sued three local department stores as well as G2000 in the Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court for infringing his "2000" trademark. In January 2008, the Hangzhou court issued a decision against the defendants. The stores were ordered to stop infringing, and G2000 was ordered to pay damages of RMB 20 million (approx. USD 2.8 million), a record amount for trademark infringement in China.
It is to be noted that Mr Zhao operates a zombie company that neither manufactures, produces nor trade anything. It has been one of the most publicized case by Hong Kong media that deemed the case to be unfair as it Mr Zhao obviously registered the name and brought G2000 to court to seek profit. The public in interviewed in Hangzhou was not even aware of Mr Zhao's operations, especially in the clothing sector. Foreign observers agree that the court has discriminately ruled in since December 2000 after receiving a cease and desist letter from Mr Zhao's lawyer in November 2000.