Patent Case Law and Intellectual Property Practice Blog

Read the Japanese version / 日本語版を読む Article information Article type: Case note Categories: Trademarks Topics: Distinctiveness First published on this website: 2026-10-16 Display and classification checked: 2026-10-17 Case information: Reiwa 6 (Gyo-Ke) No. 10058 [Trademarks] IP High Court, Reiwa 6 (Gyo-Ke) No. 10058 (Judge Hibiki Shimizu) Three-dimensional shape of a support base for a dental model → Registration refused under Article 3(1)(iii); Article 3(2) not satisfied. (E

Read the Japanese version / 日本語版を読む Article information Article type: Case note Categories: Trademarks, Unfair competition law, Other Japanese law Topics: Trademark use, Trade secrets, Contracts First published on this website: 2026-10-16 Display and classification checked: 2026-10-17 Case information: Reiwa 5 (Wa) No. 829 [Claim for contractual penalties] Osaka District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) No. 829 (Judge Matsuami) The defendant had been a franchisee but terminated the contra

Read the Japanese version / 日本語版を読む Article information Article type: Case note Categories: Trademarks Topics: Similarity of trademarks, Trademark infringement First published on this website: 2026-10-16 Display and classification checked: 2026-10-17 Case information: Reiwa 4 (Wa) No. 16062 [Trademarks] Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 4 (Wa) No. 16062 — “仙修” (Judge Shibata) Registered mark: 仙脩 ① 仙修: similar ② 仙修六神丸: similar ③ 御所 (boxed separately) 仙修: similar ④ 御所仙修: dissimilar ①

日本語版 Article information Article type: Reports and activities Category: Trademarks Topics: Similarity of trademarks, Distinctiveness, Examination and appeal practice First published on this site: 2026-10-11 Display/classification checked: 2026-10-11 Trial and Appeal Practitioners Study Group Report 2024 — Theme 6 (Trademarks) [Similarity of composite marks] <Marks formed by adding other characters, etc., to an already registered mark> • Whether the registered-mark portion is

日本語版 Article information Article type: Reports and activities Category: Trademarks Topics: Distinctiveness, Examination and appeal practice First published on this site: 2026-10-11 Display/classification checked: 2026-10-11 Trial and Appeal Practitioners Study Group Report 2024 — Case 6 (Trademarks) [Application of Article 3(1)(iv) of the Trademark Act to a mark combining a common surname and a customary name] IP High Court, Reiwa 5 (Gyo-Ke) No. 10031 — Ikegami Seimensho Wher

日本語版 Article information Article type: Case note Category: Trademarks Topics: Issues discussed in the text First published on this site: 2026-10-10 Display and classification checked: 2026-10-10 [Trademarks] Tokyo High Court, Showa 54 (Ne) No. 1097 Even where an applicant has received a registration decision and paid the registration fee, and only entry in the register remains, using the indication “registered trademark” during that interval constitutes an act satisfying the

日本語版 Article information Article type: Case note Category: Trademarks Topics: Misleading quality indication First published on this site: 2026-10-10 Display/classification checked: 2026-10-10 [Trademarks / False marking] Osaka High Court, Heisei 3 (Ne) No. 1003 — Choco Krispies The appellant argued that Kellogg’s continued use of “クリスピー(R)” on packaging after registration of the Japanese-character mark “クリスピー” had expired falsely suggested registration, contrary to Article 74

日本語版 Article information Article type: Case note Category: Trademarks Topics: Distinctiveness First published on this site: 2026-10-10 Display/classification checked: 2026-10-10 [Trademarks] Osaka District Court, Reiwa 4 (Wa) No. 9818 — “熱中対策応急キット” (Heatstroke countermeasure emergency kit) (Judge Takemiya) *At the date of the registration decision, “熱中対策” was understood to mean “heatstroke countermeasures.” → No distinctiveness (contrary to Article 3(1)(iii) of the Trademark

日本語版 Article information Article type: Case note Category: Trademarks Topics: Examination and appeal practice First published on this site: 2026-10-10 Display/classification checked: 2026-10-10 [Trademarks / Cancellation for non-use] IP High Court, Heisei 22 (Gyo-Ke) No. 10083 — “ECOPAC” *Prosecution history estoppel prevents an argument that the registered mark conveys the concept of “environmentally friendly packaging.” → The registered mark “ECOPAC” is not equivalent to “エ

日本語版 Article information Article type: Administrative decision note Category: Trademarks Topics: Examination and appeal practice、Distinctiveness First published on this site: 2026-10-10 Display/classification checked: 2026-10-10 [Trademarks] Trial decision, Appeal against refusal No. 2023-10504 Applied-for mark: “完全” (complete) → No distinctiveness (contrary to Article 3(1)(vi) of the Trademark Act). (Excerpt from the trial decision, translated) Even if the applied-for mark,