No more "handmade," Jinmailang now has "1 bucket and a half," "1 bag and a half," "1.5 times"

How does the phenomenon of “scheming” trademarks affect consumer trust?

China News Service, Beijing, April 4—( Reporter Xie Yiguan ) Recently, Jinmailang hand-cut noodles attracted public attention because the words “hand-cut” are registered as a trademark. In response to public doubts, on April 1, Fan Xianguo, founder and chairman of the Jinmailang Group, posted a video on a social media platform, saying that starting from the early morning of April 2, the company would immediately stop producing all products bearing the “hand-cut” trademark.

On April 3, a China News Service reporter found that Jinmailang’s online shop no longer had any products bearing the “hand-cut” trademark, but “1.5 bucket” instant noodles, “1.5 bag” instant noodles, and “1.5 times” instant noodles were still being sold normally.

Screenshot from Jinmailang’s official e-commerce flagship store.

According to the labels on the online shop, the noodle-cake weights corresponding to the so-called “1.5 bucket,” “1.5 bag,” and “1.5 times” instant noodles are inconsistent. Among them, the “1.5 bag” instant noodles indicate that they contain 120 grams of noodle cake, while the “1.5 bucket” and “1.5 times” instant noodles contain 110 grams of noodle cake. Meanwhile, the noodle-cake weights of many other instant noodles that are not labeled “1.5 bag” or “1.5 bucket” are also 100 grams or more. The reporter also noticed that both “1.5 bag” and “1.5 bucket” include the “TM” trademark symbol, whereas the “1.5 times” wording does not include a trademark symbol.

The noodle-cake weights corresponding to “1.5 bucket,” “1.5 bag,” and “1.5 times” instant noodles on the Jinmailang flagship store are inconsistent.

The reporter, acting as a consumer, asked Jinmailang’s e-commerce customer service about the weight issue. The other party sent a screenshot with a line of small text stating: “1.5 times refers to comparing with Jinmailang chicken-juice noodle series noodle-cake ( noodle-cake weight 70 grams ).” When the reporter asked whether the “1.5 bag” and “1.5 bucket” series also works this way, the customer service asked the reporter to refer to the product detail page. On the promotional page for the “1.5 bucket” product, the reporter found a line of small text: “It’s not that two buckets can’t be bought, but that 1.5 buckets have better value for money; compared with Jinmailang Alang fried noodles.”

Shown in the screenshot sent by Jinmailang customer service.

However, the reporter could not search for Jinmailang chicken-juice noodles or Jinmailang Alang fried noodles on Jinmailang’s e-commerce flagship store.

A search in the e-commerce flagship store did not turn up Jinmailang chicken-juice noodles or Jinmailang Alang fried noodles.

Tianyancha shows that Jinmailang has applied for easily confusing trademarks such as “1.5 bucket,” “1.5 bag,” “bucket half,” “bag half,” “Jinmailang 1.5 bucket,” “Jinmailang 1.5 bag,” and “Jinmailang 1.5 cup.” However, except for certain trademarks that have been registered—such as the “1.5 bucket” applied for in 2015 and “Jinmailang bucket half” applied for in 2024—most others have been ruled invalid or are awaiting substantive examination.

Screenshot from Tianyancha.

According to media reports, in 2020 Jinmailang’s “1.5 bag” trademark was ruled invalid by the National Intellectual Property Administration because it lacked distinctiveness and could cause the public to misunderstand the quantity of the goods. In 2022, both the first and second-instance reviews upheld the original decision.

Similar “scheming” trademarks are nothing new. Previously, consumers pointed out that on the packaging of Baixiang instant noodles’ “more than half a bag” series, “more than half” was mostly registered as a trademark. “Qianhe 0” soy sauce, “Yhao Tu” eggs, “Gonggang Yhao” milk, and “Dezi Tu” chicken have also sparked controversy due to trademark issues.

Trademarks are an important asset for companies, but they should be a carrier of integrity rather than a misleading tool. Although Jinmailang has already announced the discontinuation of the “hand-cut” trademark, other “scheming” trademarks are still being used, and third-party sellers on e-commerce platforms continue to sell related products.

This kind of practice of exploiting information asymmetry to “play on the edge” undoubtedly erodes consumer trust. For consumers, what they buy is never just the product—it’s also the brand’s sincerity and transparency. Only by making product names live up to the reality and ensuring that promotional claims can stand up to scrutiny can companies win long-term support from consumers.( End )