The application was rejected because the trademark contains the word Washington, capital of the United States.

But the apple commission said Washington is also a person's name and, historically speaking, was used earlier as a personal name than as a geographical name.

Chinese trademark law, however, holds that well-known foreign geographical names must not be used as trademarks, but exceptions can be made for geographical names that have other meanings.

The Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, responsible for handling trademark disputes, said Washington is better known in China as the US capital than as a person's name, and so cannot be considered an exception.

The commission said its trademark, already registered in the US, is known the world over and that it has no intention of monopolizing the geographical name. Washington State is one of the major apple-producing areas in the US.

The Intermediate People's Court in Beijing has not yet handed down its decision on the case.

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