Trademark squatting cases involving Korean companies have surged in recent years. The number of suspicious overseas trademark filings monitored last year reached a record-high 9,249 cases, up 84 percent from the previous year. Korean shaved ice dessert chain Sulbing suffered a major setback in its attempt to expand into China after becoming entangled in a lengthy trademark battle. The company ultimately won a legal dispute over brand rights but failed to gain meaningful traction in the copycat-cornered Chinese market.