Such ‘doge’: Chinese tech giants Tencent and ByteDance race to secure trademark for their own versions of popular emoji

Trademark tussle is the latest contest between two Internet giants that increasingly clash in the fight for the attention of Chinese mobile phone users. The images the companies are trying to trademark are slightly different, but the applications could be challenged after the examination stage is finished. — SCMP

TikTok owner ByteDance has opened a new front in its rivalry with social media giant Tencent Holdings: trying to secure trademark rights to its own version of the famous “doge” emoji that has become a symbol of sarcasm when used by netizens.

Beijing ByteDance Network Technology Co Ltd, a ByteDance subsidiary, last week submitted a trademark application for a picture of a dog’s head that looks similar to the doge emoji that originated in Japan in 2013, according to updated information on TianYanCha, a platform which tracks corporate registry information in China.