Diageo wins China Johnnie Walker piracy case

 BEIJING, Nov 27 (Reuters) - A Shanghai court has ordered a local firm to pay Diageo Plc (DGE.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) 1.25 million yuan ($183,100) for copying the world's biggest alcoholic drinks group's whisky packaging, state media reported on Thursday.

The Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court ruled that Blueblood (Shanghai) Wine Co had copied Diageo's Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky packaging for its own Polonius brand, the China Daily said.

The Chinese company had previously been fined after Diageo lodged a complaint to a local commerce bureau in 2006, but had continued to use the packaging and sold about 37,000 bottles, the paper said.

Another 16 verdicts in intellectual property rights cases were decided in Shanghai courts this week, including a case ordering three Chinese recording companies to pay Taiwan-based Rock Records 2.9 million yuan for abusing music copyrights, the paper said.

China has lifted efforts to clean up rampant piracy which Western countries complain costs their companies billions of dollars every year and remains a bug-bear for China-U.S. relations.

China says its piracy problem is exaggerated and regularly lauds its efforts to tackle copyright abuse, despite the open sale of pirated books, music and clothing in local markets and on the street. (Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Nick Macfie)