Celebrities

The bizarre products being sold in China using Ivanka Trump's name

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Picture:
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Whether to stock Ivanka Trump's fashion brands or not has become a quandary for many a retailer in the United States, due to the divisiveness of her father, President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Early in February the President tweeted angrily at department store chain Nordstrom for dropping Ivanka's clothing line - the company cited declining sales.

Trump tweeted:

Many saw this as the President using his office to influence for the financial benefit of his family - as many pointed out it was, plain as day.

However, China can't seem to get enough "Ivanka".

Dozens of Chinese businesses have submitted at least 65 applications to Beijing to use "Ivanka" as a trademark for their products, according to the South China Morning Post.

Among the applications are a Beijing-based company that provides weight loss services, cosmetics and nutritional supplements (10 applications), a brand of sanitary napkins, and a range of other products including wallpaper and alcohol.

Chinese law offers enough leeway regarding the use of foreign brands and celebrity names that companies routinely cash in on western fame - with or without their permission.

Michael Jordan famously won a case in December preventing Qiaodan Sports (pronounced "chee-owdahn") from using his name and jersey number (23).

HT Quartz

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