Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) wants to stop the use of its brand in the marketing of Cam Ranh Bay, an upcoming resort in Nha Trang, Vietnam.
In a media statement, the Hong Kong-based casino operator said that promotional materials of the Vietnam resort contained what appear to be photos of the Duyen Ha Resort Cam Ranh, labeled as “Nha Trang Galaxy’s,” and with the ‘Galaxy’ name also written in Chinese. A mark was also used that Galaxy said was “extremely similar” to its own.
“GEG wishes to clarify that it does not operate any hotel or resort in Vietnam nor does GEG have any association with any of the existing hotels or resorts in Vietnam. GEG considers these advertisements to constitute a serious infringement of Galaxy’s intellectual property rights and is investigating this matter,” the company said.
Galaxy added that it was planning “to take appropriate legal action” against unauthorized use of its name and trademarks. It also called on the public to inform the company of such violations.
The unlicensed use of established brand names and logos is especially common for the promotion of gambling websites. In years past, Chinese authorities have gone after operations for the use of these bogus websites, making arrests in the process. Last August, police in Jiangsu Province nabbed some culprits for using trademarks owned by SJM Holdings and Sands China.
In September, Wynn Macau Limited warned the public of an increase in the number of websites using its name and trademarks without permission. Caesars Entertainment, which currently has no gambling operations in Macau, has nonetheless filed for intellectual property protection in the special administrative region (SAR), possibly due to concerns of its brand being used without its authorization.
Last November, Macau’s Judiciary Police reportedly requested international Web hosting services to block gambling websites that claim an affiliation with local operators. Currently, the SAR does not authorize online gambling.
