The name of China's national television broadcaster, China Central Television(CCTV) may soon become a brand of condoms if a local businessman's application is approved.

Li Zhenyong, from Fujian Province in southeast China, applied for the trademark registration of condom products donning the name CCTV Channel 1. In Chinese, the fourth character of the name sounds the same as the word for condoms.

Li's application is now subject to the assessment of the trademark bureau of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

Although his request still has a long way to go, if no one lodges an objection, the approval of the trademark is only a matter of time.

Officials at CCTV have expressed shock at the plan, saying they are now considering legally protecting their brand name. Li Zhenyong said that he hoped CCTV's fame would attract investment from big companies for the production of his product.

One commentary from "Red Net" agrees that businesspeople should be creative and original, however noting that morality should still serve as the foundation of their professional work.

It says, though the idea for a CCTV-1 condom itself seems rather clever, it is in actually the result of misguided creativity. It continues by saying that if all businesspeople follow Li Zhenyong's example, the morals at the backbone of society may be compromised.

The opinion ends by saying, it's unfortunate that the related industrial and commercial administrations didn't ban the application immediately, adding that it somehow reveals these administrations' ineffective assessment mechanisms and lack of responsibility.

Another commentary from the People's Daily's website says that such so-called cleverness is actually quite vulgar. It only aims to attract public attention and extract the biggest financial profits. It not only violates the rules of competition between businesses, but also threatens social morals. It says relevant laws are necessary to prevent such practices harmful to both the economy and society.

In an interview with the Beijing-based Hua Xia Times, a professional specializing in brands says that "CCTV Channel One" has long been accepted as a brand and image belonging to CCTV itself. He says registering it as another product's trademark will confuse the public's understanding, saying that CCTV is supposed to have the exclusive rights to the brand in dispute.

But one commentary from Nanfang Daily says that the registration of condom trademarks isn't against the law as it exists now in China. It attributes the Chinese people's continued relation of the use of condoms with sexual depravity to the widespread belief that it is improper and immoral to apply the name of CCTV 1 to condoms.

However, the commentary says that the use of condoms shows the progress of a society's civilization. It says approving the condom trademark of CCTV Channel 1 will, to some degree, help change people's understanding of the use of condoms. And, this is significant in the great positive social change it will bring about.
 
(CRI August 3, 2006)