China granted 18 new trademarks to companies linked to President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka over the last two months—including, bizarrely, for voting machines. Sixteen of the new trademarks were granted to to Ivanka Trump Marks LLC, which cover Ivanka-branded fashion gear such as sunglasses, handbags, shoes, and jewelry. Two more trademarks were given to DTTM Operations LLC, based at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York, covering branded restaurant, bar, and hotel services. It’s unclear why the Trumps wanted to trademark voting machines in China—but trademark squatting is rampant in China and applications often include items that companies don’t intend to market.
