China's 'Face Book' Brand Potato Chips Aren't Happening

Facebook just scored a major trademark victory in China: A court in Beijing has struck down a food manufacturer's attempt to register "face book" as a trademark and use it to sell everything from potato chips to candy, reports CNET.

The company, Zhongshan Pearl River, first registered the "face book" trademark back in 2011. It was initially granted approval but was soon challenged by Mark Zuckerberg's social media empire for obvious reasons; Zhongshan also planned to sell canned vegetables, juice, coffee, and tea under the name. The court's decision stated that the trademark registration "violated moral principles" with "obvious intention to duplicate and copy from another high-profile trademark."

China's trademark laws are famously relaxed compared to other countries, particularly the U.S. A similar trademark case brought by Apple recently ended less successfully for the tech giant: A court ruled that a Chinese company using the term "IPHONE" to sell handbags can continue to do so.