Is Ivanka Trump’s Chinese Trademarks Win A Conflict Of Interest?
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The Chinese government granted a trademark approval on Sunday to Ivanka Trump’s company for the 13th time in the last three months — raising questions about conflicts of interest at the White House, Time reported.
While the first daughter ended her management of the Ivanka brand when she took on a senior adviser role in Washington, she reportedly continues to profit from the business, which sells a host of items including kitchenware, chocolate and furniture.
“More conflicts of interest and more potential for using the White House for self-enrichment,” Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, tweeted about the trademarks.
“It raises significant questions about corruption, as it invites the possibility that she could be benefiting financially from her position and her father’s presidency or that she could be influenced in her policy work by countries’ treatment of her business,” Bookbinder wrote to Time.
The World Intellectual Property Organization’s global brand database reportedly showed that the company, Ivanka Trump Marks LLC, also won three trademarks in the Philippines after President Trump took office— filed February 8, 2017 and March 1, 2017.
Ivanka and her father have pursued trademarks in dozens of countries, but concerns about political influence on trademarks have been especially prevalent in China, where the courts and bureaucracy are controlled by the ruling Communist Party.
Chinese officials reportedly emphasized that all trademark applications are handled in accordance with the law.
Contact Haley Cohen at hcohen@forward.com
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