Longping High-Tech: No 'Yuan Longping' Brand Rice Has Been Authorized

*Published by National Business Daily | Reporter: Wu Zepeng | Editor: Bi Luming*

On the evening of September 24, Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co., Ltd. (SZSE: 000998, stock price: 8.68 yuan, market cap: 12.75 billion yuan) issued a rights protection statement via its official WeChat account. The company announced that it had terminated the "Yuan Longping" trademark license previously granted to Longping Rice Industry High-Tech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Longping Rice Industry"), accusing the latter of contract breach and trademark infringement.

The statement also clarified that, since 2023, Longping High-Tech has not authorized any entity to use the "Yuan Longping" trademark in the rice business sector.

Background of the Trademark License

According to a reporter from National Business Daily, in late 2014, Longping High-Tech signed the Yuan Longping Brand Rights Licensing Agreement with Academician Yuan Longping. Under the agreement, Academician Yuan authorized the company and its sub-licensed third parties to use his name and likeness in business operations. The authorization was valid for the duration of Longping High-Tech's existence.

A company insider told reporters that Longping High-Tech no longer licenses the "Yuan Longping" trademark to any external party, nor does it produce any products bearing the "Yuan Longping" trademark internally. This means that all "Yuan Longping" branded products currently on the market—whether seeds or rice—are being used without authorization.

Termination of License and Alleged Breach

In its September 24 statement, Longping High-Tech confirmed that it had fully divested its stake in Longping Rice Industry. The company transferred all of its 54% equity stake in Longping Rice Industry in January 2026 and completed the corresponding industrial and commercial registration. Since then, Longping High-Tech has held no equity interest in Longping Rice Industry, and the two entities have no direct or indirect equity, personnel, or business ties.

According to the termination agreement, Longping Rice Industry was required to complete a company name change by April 2026, removing any reference to "Yuan Longping," "Longping," or "Longping High-Tech." However, as of the date of the statement, Longping Rice Industry had not fulfilled this obligation, constituting a breach of contract.

Regarding trademark use, Longping High-Tech stated that it terminated the "Yuan Longping" trademark license to Longping Rice Industry on March 10, 2023. Despite the termination, Longping Rice Industry continued to use the trademark illegally, which the company said constitutes serious infringement of its registered trademark rights. Longping High-Tech demanded an immediate cessation of such use.

Clarification of Legal Responsibility

The statement also clarified that Longping Rice Industry is an independent legal entity and bears full legal responsibility for its own business activities. Since December 27, 2021, all debts and contingent liabilities incurred by Longping Rice Industry are to be settled and assumed by its management team and Hunan Zhongchu Enterprise Management Consulting Partnership (Limited Partnership). Longping High-Tech assumes no legal liability in this regard.

On September 25, a reporter attempted to contact Longping Rice Industry using the phone number listed in its business registration records, but the call went unanswered.

History of Rights Protection Efforts

This is not the first time Longping High-Tech has publicly addressed the unauthorized use of the "Yuan Longping" brand. In May 2022, on the first anniversary of Academician Yuan Longping's passing, the company held a symposium themed "Protection and Inheritance." During the event, company representatives emphasized that without protective and regulatory measures, Academician Yuan's name would be commercially exploited and reduced to a tool for traffic monetization.

The commercial value of the "Yuan Longping" name has led many market players to attempt unauthorized use—and face legal consequences.

In one documented case, two companies used the phrase "National Rice Wannian Gong, Inscribed by Yuan Longping" on rice packaging and online promotions without authorization. The Jiangxi Provincial High People's Court ruled in the second instance that such use constituted commercialization of the "Yuan Longping" name, violated the principle of good faith and recognized commercial ethics, and amounted to unfair competition. The case was included in the fifth batch of典型案例 on judicial protection of intellectual property rights published by the Supreme People's Court.

During the 2022 symposium, Longping High-Tech reported that over the previous three years, it had filed complaints with industrial and commercial authorities and sent lawyer's letters to 40 suspected infringing companies. As a result, 16 entities had changed their names, and 10 had been dissolved or had their licenses revoked.

Current Status

According to a Longping High-Tech representative, all rice products currently sold under the "Yuan Longping" name on the market have not obtained legitimate authorization from the company.

Source: National Business Daily