This might come as a bit of a shock, but the Beijing High Court actually ruled in favor of social media giant Facebook in a trademark case, the Financial Times reports. The court concluded that the Chinese company that registered the name “face book” back in 2014 should not have been allowed to do so. The ruling has many speculating that this could be a sign that China's attitude toward the blocked site is softening.
The name “face book” was registered by the Zhongshan Pearl River Drinks Factory. The factory is based in the Guangdong province and produces food products, such as potato chips and canned vegetables.
"Under Chinese law, a multinational with a globally-recognised brand must prove that its trademark is also well known within China," the article states.
In addition to social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, Facebook is blocked to the nearly 700 million internet users in China. Facebook (not to be mistaken for face book) CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been trying to normalize relations with China for years.
In the past, Zuckerberg has hosted China’s chief censor at his home in San Francisco and met with the head of the ruling Communist party’s propaganda apparatus. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg was spotted jogging near Tiananmen Square during a particularly bad pollution day. He was visiting Beijing to attend the China Development Forum 2016.
READ MORE: Zuckerberg DNGAF, Runs in Beijing Smog without a Mask
Perhaps Zuckerberg’s efforts are paying off. Or maybe we’re just getting our hopes up…
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