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[Alpha Biz=(Chicago) Reporter Paul Lee] Megamart, a distribution company of Nongshim Group, filed a lawsuit, claiming that "Homeplus' Megafood Market violated trademark rights."

According to the distribution industry on the 14th, Megamart filed a lawsuit with the Patent Court against Homeplus on the 2nd to confirm the scope of Megafood Market rights.

Megamart is a large discount mart founded in 1975 by Nongshim after acquiring the supermarket operator "Dongyang Chain." When Homeplus opened "Homeplus Mega Food Market," a super-large food store in Incheon in February last year, Megamart asked Homeplus to stop using the trademark. In addition, he filed a trial with the Korean Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board to confirm the scope of rights, but in January, the Korean Intellectual Property Court ruled in favor of Homeplus. Megamart filed a lawsuit against it.

Mega Mart said, "It is very embarrassing that Mega Mart is the same as the Mega Food Market brand, which has been used as a fresh food sector and store slogan for decades, and can be confused with unique nouns such as Mega Mart and Mega Market." He then stressed, "The fact that the same retail competitor is referred to as a simple noun despite using the Mega Food Market, which Megamart has long used as its own brand, as a company name is an issue that shakes the foundation of the protection of intellectual property rights."

"We will actively respond in accordance with MegaMart's lawsuit to confirm Megamarket trademark rights filed with the Patent Court, and it will be reaffirmed that the Korean Intellectual Property Tribunal's judgment was fair," Homeplus said.

 

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