Introduction:A themed internet-famous coffee shop centered around Ultraman was taken to court by intellectual property rights holders for unauthorized use of a large number of Ultraman elements. The court ultimately ruled that the shop had infringed multiple copyrights and constituted unfair competition, ordering it to pay 400,000 yuan in compensation. This case serves as a wake-up call for operators in the coffee industry, reminding them to prioritize intellectual property compliance when creating themed features to avoid legal risks.
A themed internet-famous coffee shop in Suzhou, Jiangsu, which heavily featured Ultraman-related elements without authorization, was sued by the intellectual property rights holder and faced a claim of 1 million yuan. After hearing the case, the court determined that the shop’s actions infringed on exhibition rights, reproduction rights, distribution rights, and information network dissemination rights, while also constituting unfair competition. The final judgment ordered compensation of 400,000 yuan. This case provides an important legal reference for theme-based operations in the coffee industry.
It is understood that this coffee shop attracted a large number of tokusatsu drama fans to visit and consume due to the ubiquitous Ultraman elements inside. Customers described how the shop played the theme song "Mirai Kaihou" ("The Miracle of Revival") from *Ultraman Tiga* on loop and displayed various Ultraman-themed figurines, cards, picture books, and posters as decorations. Customers could not only closely view the various Ultraman-related collectibles gathered by the owner but also enjoy beverages and desserts named after Ultraman elements, as well as purchase derivative products such as fridge magnets and trading cards.
However, the licensee of the intellectual property rights related to the Ultraman series of artistic images and elements recently took the coffee shop to court, demanding that it cease copyright infringement and unfair competition practices, and compensate for reasonable expenses and economic losses totaling 1 million yuan. Upon investigation by the court, the Ultraman registered trademark has high recognition and long-term influence in fields such as animation and toys, and has been recognized as a well-known trademark.
The defendant coffee shop began operations in 2022 and, thanks to its prime location and high foot traffic, accumulated more than 3,000 favorites on third-party platforms. However, investigations showed that the shop used Ultraman elements without obtaining authorization from the copyright holder, and even continued operating after receiving the court summons. On the day of the trial, the judge found that the name of its mini-program still contained the word “Ultraman,” and it was not until after the trial ended that operations were halted.
The plaintiff stated that it had previously licensed others to open Ultraman-themed stores, with a trademark and image usage period of 41 days at a fee of 150,000 yuan, and additionally charged a 10% food and beverage copyright usage fee based on total retail sales. However, the defendant coffee shop had never paid any related fees. The defendant argued that the store had hardly operated in reality after 2022, but review platforms showed that consumer reviews between 2022 and 2024 numbered over 300.
The court held that the defendant, without permission, committed acts such as creating a large background wall with Ultraman images in the physical store, displaying a large number of Ultraman and monster-related merchandise, and printing Ultraman’s head on takeout cups, thereby infringing on the plaintiff’s exhibition rights, reproduction rights, distribution rights, and information network dissemination rights.These actions not only involved copyright infringement but also easily misled consumers, constituting unfair competition.
In addition, playing the theme songs of tokusatsu dramas as background music in the store and selling products and operating a mini-program all featuring Ultraman elements could easily lead consumers to believe that the products sold were associated with Ultraman, or even that the store was an officially authorized themed shop. Such behavior demonstrated an intentional attempt to ride on the reputation of the brand and disrupted the market competition order.
Although the defendant coffee shop had ceased its infringing behavior, it still had to compensate the plaintiff for economic losses and reasonable expenses incurred in stopping the infringement. The court ruled according to law that the defendant coffee shop should pay the plaintiff 400,000 yuan in economic losses and reasonable expenses. This judgment emphasizes that when using well-known IPs in commercial operations, legal authorization must be obtained; otherwise, serious legal consequences will follow.
For operators in the coffee industry, this case carries significant warning significance. When creating themed features—whether using anime characters, film and television elements, or other well-known IPs—it is essential to ensure the corresponding intellectual property rights are authorized to avoid economic losses and damage to brand reputation due to infringement.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
