Chuncheon farmer fined for trademark use of potato bread brand

A farmer behind a popular Chuncheon potato bread brand was fined on Tuesday for using the trademark without the permission of his ex-wife, who jointly owned it.

Chuncheon potato bread is seen in this file photo provided by the Korea Tourism Organization. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

A farmer behind a popular Chuncheon potato bread brand was fined on Tuesday for using the trademark without the permission of his ex-wife, who jointly owned it.

The Chuncheon District Court fined the man 10 million won ($7,400) for using the brand’s trademark without consent and changing a company patent application on his own.

The man acquired part of the trademark in May 2022, then sought sellers for a group-purchase event for potato bread in July and August 2023 through posts made under the name of an agricultural cooperative he headed on Naver Cafe’s online distribution platform, according to the ruling.

He did so without the approval of his business partner, his ex-wife, who also co-owns the trademark as co-CEO of their company.

Investigators said he used a mark identical to the registered trademark and registration number on iceboxes and ice packs in sample packages sent to retailers, leading to the infringement charges.

They also accused him of breach of trust for changing the applicant on a patent for a “method of making bean bread,” which the company had originally filed.

Although he served as an inside director of the potato bread company, he altered the applicant name without internal authorization, added himself as a joint applicant and caused financial harm to the company, according to prosecutors.

“He used the trademark without consent and ignored proper company procedures when he changed the patent applicant, which makes the offense serious,” the judge said, adding that “the infringement created confusion among consumers about the relationship between the trademark-sharing company and the agricultural cooperative.”

Still, the court took into account that the man admitted to wrongdoing, showed remorse and had settled with the victims.

The man and his former wife, who had jointly run the potato bread business, filed for divorce in late 2023 citing personality differences. They accepted a court-mediated settlement in July of this year.

He later wrote on social media that “we ended our marriage for the sake of the potato bread business and agreed to support each other’s paths.”

The farmer also faced allegations that he failed to pay about 40 million won in severance to 10 workers at the agricultural cooperative. Prosecutors dismissed that case because it required a complaint from the victims, who did not seek punishment.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG JAE-HONG [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]