A worker produces Bing Dwen Dwen merchandise at a toy factory in Jinjiang City, southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 9, 2022. Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, has recently become a smash hit. A licensed manufacturer in Jinjiang has resumed the production of Bing Dwen Dwen merchandise ahead of schedule to ensure adequate supply for the market.(Photo: Xinhua)

The mascot of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Bing Dwen Dwen, went viral overnight, which led the domestic business sector to join the trend of registering relevant trademarks and company names.

The trend is a result of the huge business value of the Beijing Winter Olympics and its popular mascot, according to analysts.

The Global Times learned from Chinese business information provider Tianyancha that 30 companies have Bing Dwen Dwen-related names and half were established after February 4, the day that Beijing 2022 was opened. 

The companies are in multiple sectors, including the retailing of clothes, toys, furniture, jewelry and information consultation, according to Tianyancha. 

There were also 184 results in a search for Bing Dwen Dwen in Chinese in the trademark section of the website, and 101 results for Shuey Rhon Rhon, the mascot for the Paralympics Winter Games.

"Businesses' rush to register Bing Dwen Dwen-related trademarks or company names was prompted by the huge commercial effect of Beijing 2022 and the vitality of mascots," Zhao Zhanling, a legal counsel at the Beijing-based Internet Society of China, told the Global Times on Sunday.

For companies with names related to Bing Dwen Dwen, Zhao noted that it is legal for a company to use such a name instead of using the three characters of the mascot's Chinese name, and it is common when naming a company or a store.

However, except for 45 Bing Dwen Dwen trademarks registered by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and approved in December 2020, none of the names in the search results were not approved yet, the Global Times found on Sunday.

"Regulators for company or store name and for trademark are different, the former one will only inspect whether the name is the same as registered names and illicit words, and will not inspect whether the name violated trademark rights," said Zhao. 

It is worth mentioning that officially registered Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon trademarks cover all 45 categories in the trademark registration catalog, marking strict protection for Beijing 2022 related trademarks.