Why did a coffee culture shop name draw regulators in Guangzhou?

An unopened beverage shop in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, drew widespread discussion for its name Jingcha, a homophone of police tea, and cartoon police figures on its glass. Some saw a creative pun, while others worried about misleading consumers. Market supervision and public security departments intervened, and a lawyer said the name may breach enterprise name registration rules.

The case highlights the boundary between commercial creativity and public symbols in coffee culture. Police anti-fraud campaigns have handed out free tea and coffee printed with Jingcha, so passersby assumed this shop was an official partner. When a reporter called the listed number, the person who answered said they did not know and hung up, and local police said the shop was privately owned.

A beverage shop in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, that has not yet opened has sparked widespread public discussion after being named "Jingcha" (a homophone of "police tea") and using cartoon police figures in its store decoration. Some people think it is just a homophonic creative pun, while more are worried that it may mislead consumers. The market supervision department and the public security department have intervened to verify the matter, and a lawyer pointed out that the name may violate the regulations on the registration and administration of enterprise names. Behind the incident is not only the compliance of a store name, but also the boundary between commercial creativity and public symbols.

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Recently, several media outlets including Dahe Daily reported that a netizen posted a video saying that a beverage shop about to open on a street in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, was named "Jingcha."

The video footage showed that the shop was still under renovation and not yet open to the public. However, its store sign had already been installed, with the name "Jingcha," and on the shop glass was a cartoon figure seemingly wearing a police uniform, with the overall visual design carrying distinct police elements. After the video was posted, it attracted attention and discussion among onlookers.

In recent years, when police in various places carried out publicity activities such as anti-fraud and anti-scam campaigns, they have handed out free tea drinks, coffee, and other items printed with the words "Jingcha" to citizens, attracting the public to participate in interactive games and take the initiative to learn about anti-fraud and anti-scam knowledge. The media has reported on this extensively. Therefore, when seeing this beverage shop named "Jingcha," many people subconsciously thought that the shop might be cooperating with the local police, or that it was a police-public service station opened by a local government agency.

However, when a reporter called the shop phone number shown on Baidu Maps and asked whether it was cooperating with the police, the person who answered said they did not know and hung up. The reporter then contacted the Licheng Police Station in Guangzhou, where the shop is registered, and the staff said that the shop was privately owned and had nothing to do with the police.

Regarding the situation in the video, netizens had different views. Some believed that the merchant was just playing with a homophonic pun and that there was no need to overinterpret it. But more people disagreed with this view, saying that the words "Jingcha" and the police elements used by the store might confuse the public, and questioning whether a private beverage shop could take such a store name that easily misleads the public.

Yesterday afternoon, staff from the Zengcheng District Market Supervision Administration of Guangzhou said in an interview with reporters that there was no problem with the shop's name, but that combined with the cartoon image resembling a police officer posted in the shop, it would cause misunderstanding. Staff from the Zengcheng District Public Security Bureau of Guangzhou, upon learning of the matter, also said they would report it to the relevant departments and study whether it violated regulations.

Today, a reporter called the news spokesperson's office of the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau about the matter, and the staff responded that the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau was currently looking into the relevant situation, and that "it still needs to be verified and determined by departments such as market supervision and administration." Staff from the Zengcheng District Market Supervision Administration of Guangzhou responded that the market supervision office in the jurisdiction had already gone to the store to verify, and that "the relevant situation is still under further verification, and we will reply if there is any latest progress."

A lawyer pointed out that it is not appropriate for a milk tea shop's name to include "Jingcha." According to the Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Enterprise Names, enterprises enjoy the freedom of the right to choose an enterprise name, but there are also certain restrictions. For example, enterprise names must not use or disguise the use of the names, abbreviations, or specific appellations of Party and government organs.

In addition, their names must not violate public order and good customs, or may have other adverse effects, and enterprise names must not be likely to deceive or mislead the public. In this incident, the merchant's use of "Jingcha" involves the above circumstances, "because most people will associate it with the real police after hearing this brand or name."

Image source: Internet screenshot

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.