The blacklist of trademarks using names of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials has been expanded again following a rejection of the “Chunhua” trademark, owing to its association with Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua. A “Notice of Trademark Rejection” issued by China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has been circulating on the internet lately, catalyzed by CNIPA’s decision to turn down the trademark request applied by a company named Chunhua on June 29, 2020. The official reason for the trademark’s denial, as outlined by the Notice, was that the company’s logo contained the word, “Chunhua,” and “Hu Chunhua” was an incumbent member of the Politiburo of the CCP Central Committee and a vice premier of the State Council. Accordingly, its use as a trademark was, “likely to produce adverse social influence.” China’s Trademark Law doesn’t rule that the state leaders and senior officials’ names cannot be used as trademark. But a …