Burberry has been very protective of its brand image in Korea lately, but the authorities on Monday opened doors for local manufacturers to be less intimidated by the British fashion juggernaut.

According to Buburi, an Andong-based snack maker, the company has won the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board’s approval to register its brand, “Buburi” on breads, beverage and other foods with the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

The ruling came as KIPO in 2013 turned down its application because of the name similarities, citing possible trademark rights violation. Buburi has identical Korean alphabet spelling and pronunciation to Burberry but the term means mute in Gyeongsan provincial dialect.

The appeal board ruled that “not many would be confused by the two brands because they belong to different industries.”

Burberry has been involved in a slew of lawsuits related to its trademark. It has won cases against local underwear maker Ssangbangwool and LG Fashion’s Daks for adopting its iconic tartan pattern in beige background in their fashion products. It has also sued a local karaoke for using the name Burberry.

“We believe that protecting our values is important for the company and mostly for the customers who believe in us,” said Pascal Perrier, Asia-Pacific division CEO of Burberry, in his previous interview with The Korea Herald.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)