Introduction:A coffee shop in Qingpu, Shanghai, attracted customers by labeling its cups with "Lianhua Qingwen Coffee" but was investigated by market regulators. Over a thousand unused labels and 290 labeled cups were seized on-site. The business claimed it was a "meme marketing" stunt, but authorities warned that such practices could mislead consumers into associating the product with medication. This article breaks down the legal risks behind the incident and examines the actual effects of coffee on cold symptoms.
A coffee shop in Qingpu District, Shanghai, recently sparked controversy on social media—its drink cups featuring the label "Lianhua Qingwen Coffee" were deemed an act of unfair competition by market regulators. Authorities seized 290 used paper and plastic cups along with 1,058 unused labels, ultimately launching an investigation into the shop for suspected regulatory violations.
According to the investigation, the shop had been selling drinks with these labels since December 19, 2022. Although the owner claimed the labels were ordered online and used based on customer suggestions for "meme marketing," authorities emphasized that such packaging could mislead consumers into thinking the product was related to the well-known medication "Lianhua Qingwen," violating the Anti-Unfair Competition Law regarding commercial label confusion.
The on-site inspection also found six medium green paper cups already affixed with the labels ready for use, and the potential scale of violations expanded further with unlabeled cups in stock. Authorities immediately ordered the cessation of using the related cups and the destruction of the remaining labels.
Notably, while some consumers reported relief from headaches or nasal congestion after drinking the coffee,coffee itself is not a medicinal drug. Professional analysis suggests that any perceived effects may stem from the physiological impact of caffeine: when a cold causes cerebral blood vessels to dilate and press on nerves, caffeine can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system to constrict blood vessels, thereby alleviating headaches. Similarly, nasal congestion caused by inflamed nasal blood vessels might also see short-term improvement due to vasoconstriction.
However, this relieving effect varies from person to person and relies on the temporary action of caffeine.If a cold is accompanied by fever or gastrointestinal discomfort, excessive coffee consumption may actually worsen symptoms. Experts caution against treating beverages as substitutes for medication.
When explaining the law to the shop owner, authorities clarified that even though "Lianhua Qingwen" is not a registered trademark and some cups used the character "Lian" (莲) instead of "Lian" (连), the overall packaging design could still create market confusion. Especially during the pandemic, commercial use of medication names requires extra caution.
The shop owner later admitted that they initially followed similar practices by other businesses without fully assessing the legal risks. Currently, the Qingpu District Market Supervision and Administration Bureau has officially launched an investigation into the case under relevant provisions of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China, with further handling results to be announced based on investigation progress.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
