[Trademark] IP High Court, Case No. 2025 (Gyo-ke) 10072

Sep 28

2 min read

Updated: Oct 28

Read the Japanese version / 日本語版を読む

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] IP High Court, Case No. 2025 (Gyo-ke) 10072

[Aoba Dermatology Clinic] (Presiding Judge Nakadaira)

*No violation of Article 3(1)(iv) of the Trademark Act.

As to the textual portion "Aoba" in the trademark, it is unclear to consumers whether it is used in the sense of "green, young leaves, fresh greenery," etc., as a surname, or as a place name.

The surname "Aoba" ranks only 5,492nd nationwide, with approximately 1,800 people, and cannot be called a commonplace surname. Nor is "Aoba" found to be well known as the geographical name of a specific place.

The textual portion "Dermatology Clinic" also means that, among medical institutions having "Aoba" in their names, it refers to one providing dermatological treatment, etc., and contributes to distinguishing its services from those of others.

https://lnkd.in/gDK5YTKZ

https://lnkd.in/gKDpg6A9

hanrei-pdf-95274.pdf — courts.go.jp

Originally posted on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7510139864869199872/

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.

2026-10-01 | Name notation: replaced verified Japanese-script personal names with Roman-letter forms in this English article and its navigation. Legal analysis and original publication date unchanged.

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October 28, 2026 — HT: Corrected verified names, case references, court labels, wording or judgment links where applicable. Existing commentary and materials have been retained.

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