A small inn in Hebei Province is facing a lawsuit from the hotel chain Atour Hotel, which is demanding 100,000 yuan in compensation over the alleged trademark infringement of its name, "Jinji."

The owner, a woman surnamed Zhao, expressed her distress, stating that her establishment, the Jinji Hotel, has only 10 guest rooms with an average daily rate of 60 to 70 yuan per room. She emphasized that when the inn was initially named and registered, it passed all relevant regulatory reviews and successfully obtained a business license, ensuring its legal and compliant operation.

Zhao further explained that the inn's signage, decor style, and scale of operations are completely different from those of the chain brand Atour Hotel, and she never intended to capitalize on the larger brand's reputation. In tears, she recounted, "Ever since I received the court summons, I haven't been able to sleep a wink, night after night. The 100,000 yuan compensation is more than my family could ever scrape together, even by selling everything we own."

The lawsuit claims that the names "Jinji" and "Atour" differ by only one character and are visually similar, constituting a potential trademark infringement. When contacted for comment, the plaintiff's lawyer declined to be interviewed, stating it was not convenient to do so.