Region: Japan

JPO: PENINSULA HILLS unlikely to cause confusion with The Peninsula hotel

Contrary to the examiner, the JPO Appeal Board questioned the high degree of recognition of the hotel The Peninsula.

03 September 2024

Revealed: this year’s Asia-Pacific Trademark 50

We examine the companies protecting trademarks en masse in Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea – revealing both the largest trademark portfolio owners and the most active filers of the past year.

29 August 2024

Japan dismisses David Chandler’s opposition against CHANDLER and CHANDLER BATS

USPTO rejection of US applications is insufficient evidence to establish a high degree of popularity and reputation of CHANDLER, rules the Japan Patent Office.

27 August 2024

Japan: Ensuring success under the trademark enforcement framework

Featured in Trademark Litigation Review 2025

A deep dive into litigation proceedings, available defences and damages reveals the need-to-knows for companies considering enforcement in Japan. April 2024 reforms to Japan’s Trademark Act now make it possible to confiscate counterfeit goods as trademark-infringing goods, even if they are imported for personal use.

20 August 2024

JPO rejects Apple opposition against quarter-cut apple mark

The Japan Patent Office has found a low degree of similarity between Apple’s logo and a device mark representing a quarter-cut apple.

20 August 2024

Cobra Golf registers MIM after JPO Appeal Board finds museum logo's figurative element dissimilar

The Japan Patent Office Appeal Board has found dissimilarity between Cobra Golf’s MIM mark and the MIZKAN MUSEUM composite mark.

12 August 2024

Japan rejects Google opposition against FITBEING

The Japan Patent Office rejected Google’s opposition against FITBEING due to a lack of similarity and likelihood of confusion with FITBIT.

26 July 2024

Why a Japanese nail care machine maker sued its only US distributor over the colour purple

A lawyer for Japanese corporation Urawa explains the steps the company took after discovering its exclusive US distributor had filed a purple colour mark without its knowledge.

25 July 2024

Guerlain unsuccessfully opposes MITSOUKO mark in Japan

The Japan Patent Office found no likelihood of confusion or malicious intent by the applicant.

24 July 2024

Legal Updates you may have missed: fashion and luxury courtroom defeats

The third instalment in our series highlighting Legal Updates you may have missed asks what we can learn from recent trademark defeats for Kurt Geiger, Hermès, Timberland and Vans.

16 July 2024