He registers "Blue Tears" as a trademark, sparking public outrage — retorts: "The rich think differently than you."

"Blue Tears" has long been a iconic tourist attraction in Matsu, but now someone has applied to register the three characters as a trademark and even posted an offer to sell it for NT$100,000, drawing widespread criticism from locals in Matsu. However, the applicant hit back defiantly: "The rich think differently than you."

▲ Blue Tears is a signature tourist attraction in Matsu. (Photo / Matsu National Scenic Area Administration)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

▲ A user is selling the Blue Tears trademark on the Matsu Information Network, sparking outrage. (Photo / Screenshot from Matsu Information Network)

According to theMatsu Information Network, a man surnamed Ji, who claims to be from Matsu, applied to register the "Blue Tears" trademark on the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Trademark Registration website in July 2014 and succeeded. Recently, he not only announced the sale of the Blue Tears trademark for NT$100,000, but also warned local Matsu businesses that using "Blue Tears" could lead to infringement and compensation issues. The announcement sparked an outcry among locals, but in the face of public opinion, Mr. Ji remained defiant, stating: "The rich think differently than you. Please respect trademark rights."

▲ Mr. Ji fires back at netizens. (Photo / Screenshot from Matsu Information Network)

▲ The "Blue Tears" trademark registration can be found on the Intellectual Property Office website. (Photo / Courtesy of the Intellectual Property Office website)

The Intellectual Property Office stated that currently, since the man has registered "Blue Tears" as a trademark, as long as Matsu businesses do not use the Blue Tears trademark on their products, there will be no infringement. As for trademark revocation, according to the law, if the trademark has not been used in production for three years, anyone can apply to have it revoked.