'Snowden' for top secret electric car technology

[markwj]

A Beijing-based electric vehicle technology company, which claims to have made secret breakthroughs as dramatic as Edward’s Snowden’s leaks, has decided to cash in on the name of the former US intelligence agent by applying to register it as a trademark. But trademark experts say they may not succeed because the name might be deemed as being too “political” by the Chinese government.

Hong Yuan Lan Xiang (HYLX), the formerly little-known electric car technology firm, submitted an application on Thursday to China’s authorities. They want to register the “Snowden” trademark- in both Chinese and English- for their “secret technology” developed for environmentally-friendly cars, according to the applicant and company manager, Zhu Hefeng.

“We are talking with China’s domestic carmakers, and we aim to launch cars equipped with our technology by the end of this year," Zhu told the South China Morning Post in a telephone interview on Friday.

These “top secret technologies and products” HYLX boasted range from newly-developed removable batteries, remodelling of traditional cars into electric cars, and fast charging methods, said Zhou.

Beijing firm registers for top secret electric car technology | South China Morning Post
Chinese Electric Car Company Wants To Trademark Name For Top-Secret Technology

 

[Krugerrand]

Oh, they're buying a fleet of Model S's. Cool.

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

When I read that, I for some reason associated the content with the following phenomenon on more than one level…

Chinese companies 'rent' white foreigners

By Lara Farrar, for CNN
June 29, 2010 -- Updated 1133 GMT (1933 HKT)

Beijing, China (CNN) -- In China, white people can be rented.

For a day, a weekend, a week, up to even a month or two, Chinese companies are willing to pay high prices for fair-faced foreigners to join them as fake employees or business partners.

Some call it "White Guy Window Dressing." To others, it's known as the "White Guy in a Tie" events, "The Token White Guy Gig," or, simply, a "Face Job."

And it is, essentially, all about the age-old Chinese concept of face. To have a few foreigners hanging around means a company has prestige, money and the increasingly crucial connections -- real or not -- to businesses abroad.

"Face, we say in China, is more important than life itself," said Zhang Haihua, author of "Think Like Chinese." "Because Western countries are so developed, people think they are more well off, so people think that if a company can hire foreigners, it must have a lot of money and have very important connections overseas. So when they really want to impress someone, they may roll out a foreigner."

Or rent one. […


Source:

Chinese companies 'rent' white foreigners - CNN.com

I guess it would be kind of cool if I’m wrong though…

 

[lloyds]

The Chinese have the capabilities to do some amazing things. However, they suck at marketing.