Chinese Company Rips Off Iconic St-Hubert Chicken Logo

A Chinese company has pirated Quebec restaurant chain St-Hubert's logo, reports Les Affaires today. Josée Vaillancourt, a spokesperson for the privately held rotisserie chicken behemoth, confirmed the news, but did not divulge the name of the business. Curiously, the Chinese company in question sells not chickens, but cookies. St-Hubert contacted the company weeks ago in an attempt to address, and rectify the situation, but has yet to receive a response. This intellectual property case is particular, writes Les Affaires, as St-Hubert does not operate, and is not registered in China.

A remote, and possibly absurd motive not cited in the article? The controversial St-Hubert spot that aired throughout the 2014 NHL playoffs. The ad, which drew much criticism, depicted a Chinese restaurant owner angrily smashing a fortune cookie because of a sale at St-Hubert restaurants. In response to charges that the ad reinforced racial stereotypes, Lyne Chayer, St-Hubert’s vice-president of marketing, told The Globe and Mail: "At no point did we want to offend anybody and any culture, of course. The only message is about pricing. I think the message is clear. The real idea of the ad is that, no matter if you are a Chinese restaurant or whatever, St-Hubert has such aggressive pricing. And we’re sorry for the competition."