{"id":764,"date":"2018-05-28T10:42:08","date_gmt":"2018-05-28T14:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/susanwright\/?p=764"},"modified":"2018-05-28T10:42:08","modified_gmt":"2018-05-28T14:42:08","slug":"what-conflicts-ivanka-trump-scores-new-foreign-trademarks-for-her-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/susanwright\/2018\/05\/what-conflicts-ivanka-trump-scores-new-foreign-trademarks-for-her-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"What Conflicts? Ivanka Trump Scores New Foreign Trademarks for Her Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Elect Trump, they said. He\u2019s going to drain the swamp, they said.<\/em><\/p>\n

We\u2019re over a year into what is only his first term and the swamp has only gotten more swampy, packed with snapping, biting, stinging swamp critters.<\/p>\n

And no, it\u2019s not just a case of President Trump\u2019s inability to adequately drain the Washington D.C. swamp that\u2019s causing it to overflow, to the point of being ankle deep down Main Street, USA. He\u2019s actively working to stock the swamp.<\/p>\n

Those of us who were conscious of the man\u2019s background and weren\u2019t so gullible as to be convinced that a morally bankrupt leopard can change its spots did all we could to reason with Trump supporters during the primaries, but they wouldn\u2019t listen. That snake oil \u2013 taken from the finest swamp snakes, no doubt \u2013 was too enticing.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been through exhibits A to Z. I think today\u2019s offering is about exhibit I-12.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s have a little talk about nepotism, cronyism, and all the questionable deals that are born from a union of those two distasteful conditions.<\/p>\n

When Donald Trump took office, he brought along his most-adored child, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll shelve talk of Kushner\u2019s mountain of hinky contacts and behavior, as it pertains to his struggling family empire, for now, so we can talk about Ivanka Trump\u2019s personal wealth.<\/p>\n

A considerable chunk of the Trump wealth comes from trademarks and licensing deals.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s awesome news for the Trump bottom line. For Ivanka, in particular, it was recently announced that she\u2019s won new foreign trademarks from the Philippines and China.<\/p>\n

From the Associated Press<\/a>:<\/p>\n

On Sunday, China granted the First Daughter\u2019s company final approval for its 13th trademark in the last three months, trademark office records show. Over the same period, the Chinese government has granted Ivanka Trump\u2019s company provisional approval for another eight trademarks, which can be finalized if no objections are raised during a three-month comment period.<\/p>\n

Taken together, the trademarks could allow her brand to market a lifetime\u2019s worth of products in China, from baby blankets to coffins, and a host of things in between, including perfume, make-up, bowls, mirrors, furniture, books, coffee, chocolate and honey. Ivanka Trump stepped back from management of her brand and placed its assets in a family-run trust, but she continues to profit from the business.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That would be the China that just struck a deal with President Trump to save the Chinese tech company, ZTE, in spite of warnings from Congress that they posed an espionage risk.<\/p>\n

ZTE violated U.S. sanctions by selling equipment to Iran and North Korea.<\/p>\n

In the sanctions-breaking deal, ZTE would pay a fine of approximately $1 billion, hire American compliance officers, and oust their previous management.<\/p>\n

Trump moving against the advice of Congress and the intelligence community isn\u2019t a new thing. And no, we probably shouldn\u2019t look sideways at the fact that MCG Group, a state-owned Chinese construction company, will be developing a theme park in Indonesia, featuring Trump-licensed properties, such as a luxury hotel and golf course.<\/p>\n

But back to Ivanka\u2026<\/p>\n

Is she using her position as a senior adviser to her dad to enrich herself?<\/p>\n

Well, since taking office, the Trump brand, and the Ivanka Trump brand have pursued trademarks in dozens of foreign nations. Some might look at that and consider it ethically-challenged, given that the draw to grant those trademarks, in order to curry favor with the sitting U.S. president could be great.<\/p>\n

Is this a violation of the emoluments clause, which bars presidents from accepting gifts from foreign nations, without approval from Congress?<\/p>\n

Can these new trademarks for Ivanka Trump be seen as conflicts of interest?<\/p>\n

The answer is: Maybe.<\/p>\n

More approvals are likely to come. Online records from China\u2019s trademark office indicate that Ivanka Trump\u2019s company last applied for trademarks \u2014 17 of them \u2014 on Mar. 28, 2017, the day before she took on a formal role at the White House. Those records on Monday showed at least 25 Ivanka Trump trademarks pending review, 36 active marks and eight with provisional approval.<\/p>\n

The World Intellectual Property Organization\u2019s global brand database also shows that her company, Ivanka Trump Marks LLC, won three trademarks in the Philippines after her father took office. Two of them cover clothing, including lingerie and baby clothes, were filed on Feb. 8, 2017 and registered in June and November. The third, filed on Mar. 1, 2017, covers clothing and footwear and was registered in July.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

China apparently has a problem with \u201ctrademark squatting,\u201d where copycats can scoop up rights to a brand\u2019s name, hence the reason some companies seek trademarks from China.<\/p>\n

I guess that could be one explanation for the rush to trademark her good in China.<\/p>\n

Another maybe.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ivanka Trump\u2019s brand isn\u2019t really a retail standout in China, however, the bulk of Ivanka Trump imports to the U.S. are from China.<\/p>\n

MCGA<\/em>.<\/p>\n

There is also an issue with Ivanka Trump\u2019s Chinese suppliers.<\/p>\n

A year ago Monday, three men working for China Labor Watch, a New York-based non-profit, were arrested while investigating labor abuses at Ivanka Trump suppliers in China. After thirty days in detention, they were released on bail, but continue to live under police surveillance.<\/p>\n

Li Qiang, the group\u2019s founder, said Monday that he hopes bail will be lifted soon and that the case will not go to trial.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Which leads to the question again, why are we being so lenient with China?<\/p>\n

Oh, yes, as President Trump said \u2013 his \u201crelationship\u201d with Xi Jinping, Chinese president and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure that\u2019s working out great for somebody (even if only the Trumps).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Elect Trump, they said. He\u2019s going to drain the swamp, they said. We\u2019re over a year into what is only his first term and the swamp has only gotten more swampy, packed with snapping, biting, stinging swamp critters. And no, it\u2019s not just a case of President Trump\u2019s inability to adequately drain the Washington D.C. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3473,"featured_media":770,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[155,365,362],"class_list":["post-764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-china","tag-emoluments-clause","tag-ivanka-trump"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Conflicts? 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