Controversy is growing after accusations that the bakery "New York Bagelers Museum," located in front of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea building in Shanghai, China, copied the popular Korean bakery brand "London Bagel Museum."
Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, said on the 27th on social media (SNS), "Many tips from netizens who visited China are coming in," and noted, "A store that seems to have followed a famous Korean bakery company as is is openly operating in Shanghai."
Seo took issue with the fact that the store is located directly across from the provisional government building, saying, "It is making many Korean tourists frown." Seo added, "From the overall interior vibe to the menu lineup and packaging design, anyone would be reminded of 'London Bagel Museum,'" and argued it is "a clear case of imitation."
Online communities and social media are also filling with reviews from actual visitors. Netizens reacted, saying, "It's copied exactly from London Bagel Museum," "They brazenly run a knockoff," and "Is plagiarism the only thing they can do?"
Seo said an additional probe found that stores of "New York Bagelers Museum" are operating not only in Shanghai, but also in several Chinese cities including Beijing and Suzhou.
Similar cases have continued recently in China. Following the appearance of "Only Young," a store that copied the Korean beauty select shop "Olive Young," controversy also arose over Chinese household-goods distributor "Mumuso" using "KOREA" or "KR" on its signboard to make consumers mistake it for a Korean corporation.
Seo said, "As the global value of Korean brands rises, this is a typical tactic of disguising themselves as Korean companies to lure consumers," and emphasized, "Since there are limits to responses by individual corporations, government-level cooperation on intellectual property protection and linkage with local law enforcement are urgent."