China gives Trump preliminary approval for 38 new trademarks

Damn, so blatant. They're not even trying to hide it any longer.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/322892-china-offers-preliminary-approval-to-38-new-trump-trademarks

China gives Trump preliminary approval for 38 new trademarks
By Brooke Seipel - 03/08/17 08:49 AM EST


China has granted preliminary approval to 38 new Trump-related trademarks, as President Trump's family works to develop a series of branded products in the country, including hotel chains, escort services and insurance.

Trump's lawyers in China applied for the trademarks in April of last year, the Associated Press reported Wednesday. The new trademarks are considered by some to be a conflict of interest, especially as three of the trademarks were specifically made under the president's name.

The approval is preliminary and will be formally registered in 90 days, if no one objects to the trademarks.

Hong Kong intellectual-property officials told AP the trademarks were approved unusually quickly.

The Trump-branded business planned in China include spas, massage parlors, escort services, hotels, finance and real-estate companies, retail shops, restaurants and bars.

Spring Chang, a partner at the Beijing law firm which has represented the Trump Organization, told the AP that she didn't "see any special treatment" in the trademark cases.

Conflicts of interest have been a concern since President Trump won the nomination last November. In January, Trump announced he was creating a "blind trust" with his children to take over the Trump Organization and related family-owned companies. Critics have blasted the arrangement, saying it's impossible for the blind trust to operate as intended when the president's children are at the helm of the company.