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June 20, 2013

Court in native Taiwan snubs Obama gown designer

BY: AP Staff Writer JANUARY 22, 2013 | MODIFIED: JANUARY 22, 2013 AT 8:31 PM
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Photo - CORRECTS YEAR OF FIRST INAUGURATION - FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2011 file photo, designer Jason Wu takes a bow after presenting his Spring 2012 collection during Fashion Week in New York. Judges in his native Taiwan seem unimpressed that Wu has designed two inaugural gowns for U.S. first lady Michelle Obama. Taiwan's Intellectual Property Court ruled Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 that Wu's new label "Miss Wu" could not be registered as a brand because it was not distinctive enough. He designed the white gown Michelle Obama wore for her husband's first inauguration in 2009. On Monday, she appeared in another of his creations, a shiny gown with a red halter top. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
CORRECTS YEAR OF FIRST INAUGURATION - FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2011 file photo, designer Jason Wu takes a bow after presenting his Spring 2012 collection during Fashion Week in New York. Judges in his native Taiwan seem unimpressed that Wu has designed two inaugural gowns for U.S. first lady Michelle Obama. Taiwan's Intellectual Property Court ruled Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 that Wu's new label "Miss Wu" could not be registered as a brand because it was not distinctive enough. He designed the white gown Michelle Obama wore for her husband's first inauguration in 2009. On Monday, she appeared in another of his creations, a shiny gown with a red halter top. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
Topics: World

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Judges in his native Taiwan seem unimpressed that Jason Wu has designed two inaugural gowns for U.S. first lady Michelle Obama.

Taiwan's Intellectual Property Court ruled Monday that Wu's new label "Miss Wu" could not be registered as a brand because it was not distinctive enough.

Wu is one of only several dozen Chinese surnames, and the court upheld a government trademark agency decision that "Miss Wu" was too generic. Wu claimed the label conjured the hoot of an owl, depicted on its logo.

He designed the white gown Obama wore for her husband's first inauguration in 2009. On Monday, she appeared in another of his creations, a shiny red gown with a halter top.

Wu was born in Taiwan before moving to Canada at age 9.

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