The victory? Trump's company won the Chinese government's preliminary approval for three new trademarks, giving it monopoly rights to sell the brand's jewelry, bags and spa services in the world's second-largest economy.
They're not stepping away. Despite boycotts, Ivanka Trump's fashion brands are flourishing, and in particular saw a major boost in profits after Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway in a February TV interview urged viewers to purchase Ivanka Trump products.
The new trademark applications seek the right to put Ivanka's name on lingerie in the US, baby clothes in the Philippines, handbags in Puerto Rico and perfume in Canada, among a host of other things.
April 6, 2017: Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, sit next to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at a state dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
Her lawyer, Jamie Gorelick noted that Ivanka resigned from running the business and put it in trust, adding, "Ivanka has had no involvement with trademark applications submitted by the business". However, in Trump's defense, trademark squatting is an ongoing issue (as her father would know), and defensive copyrighting is frequently done.
From what we've seen so far, it pays to be the President's daughter.
"The federal ethics rules do not require you to recuse from any matter concerning a foreign country just because a business that you have an ownership interest in has a trademark application pending there", she added.
Despite ethics experts raising red flags for months over conflicts of interest between the Trump presidency, his businesses and his family, the unprecedented and unfamiliar nature of Trump's political landscape is proving to be too convenient for the Trumps, especially Ivanka.
Pence visits Tokyo to reaffirm ties as N Korea tensions rise
Marius Grinius served as Canada's ambassador to both North and South Korea between 2005 and 2007. The United Nations is clearly anxious .
Still, the company's moves highlight the careful maneuvering Ivanka Trump must take as she navigates any potential conflicts of interest posed by her new job in the White House.
Ivanka Trump may not understand what complicit means, but one would assume a businesswoman of her posturing would certainly understand what a conflict of interest is.
The company has more than 180 pending and registered trademarks in countries including Canada, India, Japan, Israel, Mexico, Turkey, Saudi Arabia as well as in the U.S. and Europe, according to public records.
The scenario underscores how hard it is for the president's daughter, to separate business from politics in her new position at the White House.
Aside from being awkward to watch, it raises the question of how Ivanka Trump will use privileged information about her dad's plans and whereabouts - the visit from the Trump-Kushner clan was a surprise one - to curry favor from some of the world's most powerful influencers. Trademarks are certainly valuable assets as companies seek exclusive control over their global brands, and Trump herself has said that the first step in building a brand is to "do a comprehensive trademark search".
Sales spiked 771 percent in February over the same month a year ago, after White House counselor Kellyanne Conway exhorted Fox viewers to "Go buy Ivanka's stuff".
Trademarks can be signs of corporate ambition, though many countries - such as China, where "trademark squatting" is rampant - also allow for defensive filings to prevent copycats from using a brand. "Her celebrity status is now not only being fueled by her wealth and her family connection, but by her huge role in the White House".
March 29, 2017: Ivanka Trump joins her father's administration as an unpaid employee.
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