专访Hugo Boss CEO：14年来，不仅为商标而战，更是为顾客而战
作者|Sammi
（本文版权为知产力所有，转载请在显著位置注明来源。）
（本文3100字，阅读约需6分钟）
编者按：
创立于1923年的德国品牌雨果博斯目前已成为世界知名奢侈品牌，在国际时装界拥有重要地位。英国品牌评估机构Brand Finance发布的“2018全球最有价值的50个服饰品牌”排行榜中，雨果博斯排名第36位，在其他相关榜单上，雨果博斯同样是“日常”上榜。
随着中国消费者消费理念的转变和消费能力的上升，雨果博斯越来越重视中国市场，中国消费者同样对一直崇尚“为成功人士塑造专业形象”经营哲学的雨果博斯品牌偏爱有加。但是众所周知，目前雨果博斯在中国发展主要面临的困境当属在商标领域的争议。
10月11日，北京市高级人民法院公开开庭审理了“BOSSsunwen”商标无效宣告行政纠纷二审案件。针对弘峻实业发展有限公司注册在西服及服装相关类别上的“BOSSsunwen”这枚商标，雨果博斯(Hugo Boss )集团在提起争议的路上已经走了14年，并正在为第二轮的商标诉讼努力着。一直关心该案件进展的雨果博斯(Hugo Boss )集团CEO Mark Langer先生专程来到中国到庭旁听了该案件。
那么，雨果博斯(Hugo Boss )集团对于无形资产商标的保护和管理具有怎样的特色？针对在全球范围内面临的知识产权纠纷分别采取怎样的措施保护品牌权益？为此，知产力特邀到雨果博斯(Hugo Boss )集团CEO Mark Langer先生进行了专访。下面让我们通过知产力与Mark Langer先生的对话，一起深入了解这家近百年的世界知名奢侈品牌。
Mark Langer
知产力：您从德国来华参加此次庭审的原因是什么呢？
IPLead: What is the reason for you to come to China from Germany to participate in this hearing?
Mark Langer:雨果博斯(Hugo Boss )集团进入中国已经数十载，解决与“BOSSSUNWEN”商标所有人的商标争议对我们非常重要。我们对这枚注册在我们核心的西服和服装相关类别上的商标提起争议，至今已经持续超过14年。由于各种原因，这场争议持续了如此之久。
通过参加今天的庭审，我想释放一个强有力的信号，即雨果博斯集团和我都对此案件深表关注，并且我们正密切关注中国市场和我们品牌和商标的保护。 我们希望也相信中国法院可以纠正和解决这种不诚信和严重搭便车的恶意案件。
Mark Langer: The trademark dispute with the owner of the trademark “BOSSsunwen” is of great importance to us and our company which has been in China since decades. We have opposed this trademark that is registered in our core class for suits and apparel since more than 14 years. Due to many reasons, this dispute has continued for a long time.
By attending today’s hearing I want to provide a strong signal that HUGO BOSS and myself are deeply concerned about this case and that we are paying attention to the Chinese market and protection of our brand and trademarks. We want to /But we trust into the Chinese courts to remedy and address this egregious case of free-riding and bad faith.
知产力：请介绍一下国际时尚生活集团HUGO BOSS的含义，以及该品牌如何成为世界知名奢侈品牌之一？
IPLead: Please introduce the meaning of the international lifestyle group HUGO BOSS, and how did the brand become one of the world famous luxury brand?
Mark Langer:雨果博斯(Hugo Boss )集团有极悠久的历史，在中国境内和境外均是如此。1924年，Hugo Ferdinand Boss先生在德国梅青根建立了他的工作室，经多年发展成为今天的雨果博斯集团 —— 一个具有全球影响力，经营德国和国际时尚男女装，包括配饰、皮具和眼镜商品的国际时尚生活集团。现今品牌“HUGO BOSS”以其创始人Hugo Ferdinand Boss先生的名字命名。
雨果博斯(Hugo Boss )集团虽然不再是家族企业，但在该地区拥有悠久的传统和根基。我们通过国际化的，新生代的和令人兴奋的设计师和品牌大使来赢取客户的青睐，这其中曾包括设计师Jason Wu，演员周润发（Chow Yun-Fat）或霍建华（Wallace Huo）。
雨果博斯(Hugo Boss )集团很早就通过香港进入中国市场。我们已于1986年在中国注册了我们的著名商标“BOSS”。我们是上世纪90年代首批在中国大陆开设门店的公司之一，随后在2000年被中国商标主管部门收入《全国重点商标保护名录》。自那以后，我们的品牌在蓬勃发展的中国市场中变得更加强健，“BOSS”被中国行政机关和法院的数十项裁定或判决认定为驰名商标。
我们培育并转变品牌，来保持鲜活力和吸引力。这项重要工作的其中一部分就是保护我们的品牌和商标免受模仿者和竞争对手滥用。凭借专业的品牌管理理念，强大的商标防御措施和整个集团的稳固合作，雨果博斯才能在包括中国在内的市场取得今天的标志性地位。
Mark Langer: Our company truly has a long history to show, both outside but also inside China. In 1924, Mr. Hugo Ferdinand Boss established his workshop in Metzingen, Germany, which over many years developed into today’s HUGO BOSS Group - an international lifestyle group with global reach and German and international fashion for men and women alike, including accessories, leather goods and eyewear. The actual brand “HUGO BOSS” was named after its founding father Mr. Hugo Ferdinand Boss.
The company, although no longer a family-owned business, has a strong tradition and roots in its region. We thrive to win over our customers with international, fresh and exciting designers and brand ambassadors, which in the past have included designer Jason Wu, the actor Chow Yun-Fat or Wallace Huo.
HUGO BOSS has entered early into the Chinese market via Hong Kong. We have registered our famous trademark “BOSS” in China already in 1986. We have opened stores in mainland China as one of the first companies to do so in the 1990ies and subsequently in the year 2000 were included into the National Major Trademark Protection List of Chinese trademark authorities. Since then, the brand has grown only stronger and healthier in the thriving Chinese market, and has been recognized as well-known trademark by dozens and dozens of decisions by authorities in China and courts alike.
We grow and prune the brand, keep it fresh and attractive. Part of this important work is to defend our trademarks against imitators and me-too competitors who abuse our brand. Thanks to the professional brand management concept, intensive defense of our trademarks and solid cooperation of the whole group, HUGO BOSS has been able to achieve today’s iconic status including in China.
知产力：目前，雨果博斯(Hugo Boss )集团在全球范围内需要处理什么样的知识产权纠纷，采取了哪些行动作为回应？
IPLead: What kind of intellectual property disputes that HUGO BOSS currently deals with on a global scale, and what actions the brand is taking on as response?
Mark Langer:在全球范围内，作为流行和时尚生活品牌，商标争议和侵权问题是我们最关心的问题。鉴于我们的全球业务规模，我们参与了全球许多法律诉讼。但应承认的是，中国是商标权利人最忙碌的市场之一。我们通过现代技术和外部服务提供商，在早期阶段发现和打击在线上线下搭便车的商标和商标申请。一旦发现，我们的法律部门和外部律师将立即采取法律行动来解决这些问题。我们对打击侵权行为持坚定态度。这项工作需要耗费大量的人力物力，但我们明白这项工作的必要性，并希望向市场发出明确的信号，即我们不仅为我们的商标而战，更重要的是为我们的顾客而战。
Mark Langer: On a global scale, as a fashion and lifestyle brand trademark disputes and infringement issues are among our top concerns. Given the global scale of our operations, we are involved in many legal procedures around the globe; however, one must also admit that China is among the busiest markets as trademark owner. We use modern technology in addition to professional service provider to identify and fight at an early stage trademarks or trademark applications that may freeride on our brands, both online and offline. Once identified, our legal department and external lawyers will immediately take legal actions to resolve the problems. We maintain a resolute attitude toward infringement behaviors. This effort costs substantial resources both in terms of manpower and money, but we understand the necessity of this and want to send a clear signal to the market that we will fight for our trademark and even more important for our customers.
知产力：在本案中，品牌方和法律团队将采取哪些措施来维护集团的合法权益？
IPLead: For this case, what efforts will the brand and the legal team make to protect your legitimate rights and interests?
Mark Langer:我们决心并将竭力保护我们的合法权益，尤其是我们有强有力的新证据表明(“BOSSSUNWEN”)商标所有人的恶意和误导态度。我们很早就对“BOSSSUNWEN”品牌提起争议 ——我注意到第二部分“SUNWEN”用较小的字母书写，但是整个商标的字体与我们的商标是一样的 ——从各个角度来看都具有侵权性质，我们不会放弃我们的努力。
一个重要问题是商标所有者的恶意。我们的法律团队已经仔细研究了过去争议程序中的已有证据，也对该商标的所有者，一家注册于香港的空壳公司，目前所谓的经营规模进行了深入的研究。我们已经查看了“BOSSSUNWEN”一方所有所谓的宣传行为、“BOSSSUNWEN”品牌的知名度和市场地位的相关证据。我们确信以前各级法院被“BOSSSUNWEN”一方误导了。我们在今天的庭上提出了所有这些证据，也当然希望得到最好的结果。我很高兴看到庭审法官非常专业，公平和充分地听取了双方的意见。我相信法院在作出判决时，中国国内和国际社会对中国司法环境日益增强的信心可以得到印证。
Mark Langer: We are determined and will exhaust all legal possibilities to protect our legitimate rights and interests, especially since we have strong new evidence showing the bad faith and misleading attitude of the trademark owner. We have early on attacked the brand “BOSSsunwen” – which I note writes the second part “sunwen” in smaller letters, but the entire mark with the same font as our own trademark - for its infringing nature from every possible angle, and we will not give up on our efforts.
One important issue is the bad faith of the trademark owner. Our legal team has studied the available evidence from the past proceedings carefully, piece by piece, but also carried out extensive researches on the current alleged scale of sales by the owner of this trademark which is a shell company in Hong Kong. We have looked at all alleged promotional activities, degree of popularity and market position of the brand “BOSSsunwen” and are convinced that previous instances have been misled. We have presented all this evidence in today’s hearing and certainly hope for the best outcome. I am glad to see that the judges in the hearing were very professional and heard both parties fairly and sufficiently. Hopefully we can also confirm an increasing national and international confidence in the Chinese judicial environment when the judgement is rendered.
Mark Langer
Chairman of the Managing Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), responsible for Corporate Strategy and Communication, Legal/Compliance, Human Resources, Global Production and Sourcing, Supply Chain Management
Born in 1968 in Pforzheim, Mark Alexander Langer studied in Munich and Hagen, obtaining a Master degree in Business Administration and Mechanical Engineering.
In 1995, he started his career as Associate at McKinsey & Company in Munich before he joined Procter & Gamble in Schwalbach as Financial Analysis Manager Europe in 1997. After two years, he returned to McKinsey & Company to become Senior Associate and Project Leader in New York and Düsseldorf.
Mark Langer joined HUGO BOSS AG in January 2003 as Director Finance & Accounting. After also having served as Senior Vice President Global Replenishment for two years, he became Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and member of the Managing Board in January 2010. Since May 2016 he has been CEO of the HUGO BOSS AG. Mark Langer does not hold any mandates at other companies beyond his position at HUGO BOSS.
