CJ CheilJedang’s Bibigo dumplings have been granted a design patent in the United States, the company said on Apr. 17.
According to the company, the patent covers Bibigo dumplings’ signature design—characterized by two thin, repeated ridges along the surface.
The company filed the application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Feb. 2023 and received approval on Apr. 8. The patent is valid for 15 years.
Unlike utility patents, which protect how a product functions, U.S. design patents safeguard its visual appearance. With the approval, CJ CheilJedang has secured exclusive rights to the specific dumpling shape throughout the duration of the protection period.
The news of the patent first surfaced in China, after state-run media outlet Global Times reported on it through its official Weibo account.
The outlet criticized the move in a post titled something to the effect that it was absurd for a S. Korean company to patent the shape of dumplings.
The post quickly drew backlash on Chinese social media, where many users argued that dumplings are a staple of traditional Chinese cuisine and questioned the legitimacy of the patent.
In response to the controversy, a CJ CheilJedang spokesperson clarified that the patent does not apply to dumplings in general.
“The design helps make dumplings in large quantities without them falling apart,” the spokesperson said. “We didn’t patent all dumplings—just this particular shape used for production.”
Meanwhile, Bibigo dumplings currently hold a 42% share of the U.S. business-to-consumer dumpling market, making them the category leader. They are also one of CJ CheilJedang’s key export products.
