Clinton, Lewinsky Condoms Sold in China
A new line of Chinese condoms is attracting headlines, legal scrutiny and more than its share of bad jokes. The products’ names: “Clinton” and “Lewinsky.”
The condoms are sold in boxes of 12, with one product named after former President Clinton priced at $3.70 and the other after former White House intern Monica Lewinsky at $2.25. Guangzhou Haojian Bioscience Co. said it registered both trademarks and priced the brands differently to reflect the higher quality of the Clinton line.
“We chose the name because we think Clinton is a symbol of success and a man of responsibility. And Lewinsky is a woman who dares to love and dares to hate,” said Liu Wenhua, the company’s general manager.
“We haven’t told Clinton about this yet. Can you help us find him?” Liu added. “We’d like to tell him how respected he is in China, so we can boost his confidence and help his career.”
Liu said he settled on the Clinton name after a year of research sparked by the news that the former president would head an international initiative to combat AIDS. Some of the other names he considered and rejected included “First Night,” “18 Years Old” and “I Miss You.” They didn’t have the same aura of respectability, he said.
Liu added that because the names were registered properly with the central government’s trademark office, he didn’t anticipate any legal problems. The registration process normally takes a few months and costs about $35.
But Zheng Zhangjun, a trademark attorney with the Fengshi law firm in Beijing, said given Clinton’s fame and the evident intent to use his name for commercial gain, the former president appeared to have a strong legal case against the company.
“Just about every foreign company operating in China faces this kind of problem,” said Allan Gabor, chairman of the intellectual property rights committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. “In some ways, using Clinton and Lewinsky’s names is a creative twist on an old story.”
Last December, China strengthened its judicial interpretation, giving foreigners greater protection against those trying to steal their patents, trademarks and copyrights. But companies and other offended parties need to bring the cases to court, and that’s the catch. In Clinton’s case, taking that step might only give the company more publicity and undercut the former president’s reputation.
“That might be part of a calculated strategy,” Gabor said. “I doubt either Clinton or Lewinsky are going to do too much.”
Despite Guangzhou’s questionable legal standing, advertising and public relations executives said they had to give Liu grudging credit for his strategy. He’s offering a product that is in growing demand after China’s reluctant public acknowledgment in recent years that it has an HIV/AIDS problem. And the names draw snickers, jokes and lots of attention. Even the stodgy government-run China Daily ran a long article about the company on its front page.
On one point, however, the company may have crossed even China’s woolly line on what is acceptable. In a further bid to attract attention, the company has included adult jokes and Kama Sutra-style “instructional” drawings in each package. The Guangzhou city government wasn’t amused, arguing that this violated the law.
Liu said the adult jokes, many involving Chinese sports and sex double entendres, fit with Clinton’s image.
“Clinton is not only successful, he’s also humorous and loves life,” he said. “Jokes mean you should love life.”
Ding Li of The Times’ Beijing Bureau contributed to this report.
