TikTok owner ByteDance has opened a new front in its rivalry with social media giant Tencent Holdings: trying to secure trademark rights to its own version of the famous “doge” emoji that has become a symbol of sarcasm when used by netizens.
Beijing ByteDance Network Technology Co Ltd, a ByteDance subsidiary, last week submitted a trademark application for a picture of a dog’s head that looks similar to the doge emoji that originated in Japan in 2013, according to updated information on TianYanCha, a platform which tracks corporate registry information in China.