[Trademark] Case No. 2025 (Gyo-ke) 10004
Updated: 4 minutes ago
Article information
Article type: Case note
Display and classification checked: 2026-09-30
Categories: Trademarks
Topics: Distinctiveness
Published on this website: 2026-09-29
[Trademark] Case No. 2025 (Gyo-ke) 10004
[Direct Marketing Agency] (Presiding Judge Honda)
*Falls under Articles 3(1)(iii) and 4(1)(xvi). ⇒ Refusal.
• "Direct marketing" is listed in dictionaries as an established expression meaning "a sales promotion method that provides product information directly to consumers through various media."
"Agency" means an agency, and the form "○○ agency" is widely used to indicate an agency for a particular business.
• As actual circumstances of trade, numerous businesses (14 examples) conduct direct marketing operations under the designation "direct marketing agency."
⇒ The applied-for trademark readily causes recognition and understanding of the meaning "an agency whose business is direct marketing or that specializes in it," and is merely a mark indicating the quality of the services.
(Quoted wording is translated.)
Originally posted on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7510137523042574337/
Related articles and decisions
Updates and corrections
This log starts on 30 September 2026. Display and classification checks are distinct from a review of the legal analysis.
2026-09-30 — Presentation update: added the article type, this change log and a link to consultation options. The existing article text was preserved.
Comments