Elite school wins battle over name

HONG KONG: The elite Pui Ching Middle School has triumphed in its decade-long legal battle over the school's name and trademark with Guangdong Pei Zheng College. The four-year mainland university unlawfully adopted Pui Ching's school name and trademark insignia, the chairman of Hong Kong Pui Ching Middle School's Board said yesterday.

Beijing's Municipal Higher People's Court recently ruled against the Guangdong college, saying it acted "unlawfully" by appropriating for its own use an insignia - a red and blue circular emblem - and a name containing the Chinese characters Pui Ching or Pei Zheng (in Mandarin), which are too closely similar to Pui Ching's.

Formerly known as Pei Zheng Commercial College, the university reportedly had been using the Pui Cheng name to attract donations from the secondary school's alumni.

"It has come to our attention that a number of schools in Guangdong have been trying to pass themselves off as our school by stealing our school's name and insignia," said Ho Kin-chung, chairman of Pui Ching Middle School Board.

"We are relieved and very happy at the Beijing court's ruling, as Pui Ching can finally lay claim to our own name and sign," he noted.

Hong Kong Pui Ching Alumni Association Chairman Lui Lai-wo said: "This matter started around ten years ago, and it has been dragged on for years - far too long. We are glad that this matter has been settled. At the end of the day, the name and emblem belongs to us, so we are satisfied with the outcome."

When asked whether Guangdong Pei Zheng College will be compelled to change its name, Lui said the school has yet to receive any information on the matter.

Pui Ching is one of the largest Baptist school groups in South China. There are three secondary schools and five primary schools in Hong Kong, Macao, and Guangzhou.

Pui Ching was founded in Guangzhou and later established sister schools in Hong Kong and Macao.

Some of the school's alumni include the Nobel Prize laureate in physics, Daniel Chee Tsui, Fields medal winner Yau Shing-Tung, film director Wong Jing, Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang Ying-yen and the "Father of Modern China" Sun Yat-sen.

The school is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year and plans to construct a 16-storey building that will serve as an education center between the middle and primary school compounds.