タグ: IP High Court

IP High Court ruled trademark “SeaGull-LC” is deemed similar to “SEAGULL”

In a dispute regarding similarity between trademark “SeaGull-LC” and “SEAGULL”, the  IP High Court took the side of original decision rendered by the Japan Patent Office on the following ground.

The term of “SeaGull”, giving rise to a meaning of a gull frequenting the sea and a pronunciation of “siːɡʌl”, is evidently distinctive as a source indicator in relation to the designated goods. In the meantime, a term of “LC” in itself does not have any specific meaning in English or other foreign languages. It becomes common in trade to use two alphabetical letters accompanying a brand name on goods with an intention to represent a model or series of the brand. If so, “LC” lacks inherent distinctiveness as a source indicator of designated goods as long as relevant traders and consumers perceive the term to indicate a model or standards of the goods.

In appearance of the applied mark, “SeaGull” and “LC” can be seen separately by means of hyphen. Hyphen in itself does not serve to fuction as a source indicator. It just connects two words to constitute new term as a whole, or separates a composing element of compound word to make it more visible. Since each connected word is respectively distinguishable in the aspect of linguistics, it should be allowed to extract such word connected by hyphen independently. Thus, it is admissible to consider the term “SeaGull” as the dominant portion of applied mark and compare the portion with senior trademark registration in the assessment of trademark similarity.  Accordingly, applied mark gives rise to a meaning of a gull frequenting the sea and a pronunciation of “siːɡʌl”  from the dominant portion as well as “siːɡʌl-el-siː” from its entirety.

In the assessment of trademark similarity, commercial practice can be duly taken into consideration where it reflects regular and constant circumstances relating to the disputed goods in general. Mere commercial facts involving specific goods with disputed mark are insufficient in this regard. Sales record and publicity of trademark “SeaGull-LC” should not be considered in the assessment of trademark similarity due to the above mentioned reason.

As a conclusion, the Court found a likelihood of confusion between “SeaGull-LC” and “SEAGULL”.
[IP High Court Heisei28(Gyo-Ke)10270, June 28, 2017]

It is worthy to note that the Court considered “hyphen” functions to separate a mark in the assessment of trademark similarity regardless of its actual function to connect words. It is advisable to investigate trademark registration consisting of each word when choosing a trademark including hyphen between word elements.

Masaki MIKAMI, Attorney at IP Law – Founder of MARKS IP LAW FIRM

The IP High Court ruled a trademark “TOMATO SYSTEM” is deemed similar to “TOMATO” in connection with the service of computer programming

On March 23, 2017, in a lawsuit disputing registrability of an applied word mark “TOMATO SYSTEM” in standard character designating goods of electronic machines, apparatus and parts thereof (Class 9), and services of computer software design, computer programing, or maintenance of computer software; technological advice relating to computers, automobiles and industrial machines; testing or research on machines, apparatus and instruments; providing computer programs on data networks (Class 42), the IP High Court upheld the original refusal decision rendered by the JPO Appeal Board and dismissed the lawsuit filed by applicant, Ishiguro Medical System Co., Ltd. [Case No. Heisei 28 (Gyo-Ke) 10208].

 

 

JPO decision

Initially, JPO examiner rejected to register the applied mark “TOMATO SYSTEM” due to conflict with senior registration no. 4394923 for word mark “TOMATO” in standard character designating services of technological advice relating to computers; computer software design in Class 42 (Citation 1) and no. 5238348 for “tomato” with a device mark designating retail/wholesale services for electrical machinery and apparatus in Class 35 (Citation 2). Applicant sought to file an appeal against the rejection by arguing dissimilarity of both marks, however, the Appeal Board decided to refuse the applied mark on the basis of Article 4 (1) (xi) of the Trademark Law in a decision dated July 28, 2016 [Appeal Case No. 2016-2278].

In the decision, the Board concluded “TOMATO”, an English term meaning red edible fruit, does not imply any descriptive meaning in association with the designated goods and services. In the meantime, a term “SYSTEM” easily reminds consumers of meanings to suggest organized, purposeful structure that consists of interrelated and interdependent elements when used on machines, apparatus and computer software. Unless we find conceptual connection between two terms, it is allowed to segregate the applied mark into each element in the assessment of mark comparison. If so, relevant consumers at an ordinary care are likely to consider the term “TOMATO” as a predominant portion of the applied mark. Based on the foregoing, the Board judged the applied mark is deemed similar to Citation 1 and 2.

IP High Court 

In the lawsuit, plaintiff claimed the Board decision was defectively inappropriate since it is not allowed to segregate each term composing the applied mark in light of tight combination of both terms and ambiguous meaning of the term “SYSTEM” in relating to designated goods and services.

The Court upheld the Board decision by declaring “SYSTEM” is less distinctive in connection with goods or services relating to information processing. Therefore, it is permissible to segregate the applied mark into each element and to judge similarity of mark based on a predominant element of the mark in dispute.


MASAKI MIKAMI, Attorney at IP Law – Founder of MARKS IP LAW FIRM

 

 

The IP High Court ruled registered mark “KIRIN” is used independently regardless of promotional campaign named as “KIRIN Plus-i”

On November 7, 2016, the IP High Court ruled to dismiss plaintiff’s appeal in favor of an owner of famous beverage brand “KIRIN”, Kirin Company Limited, and concluded that the company has used registered mark “KIRIN” in dispute via a group company of KIRIN Holdings [Heisei28 (Gyo-Ke) 10093].

Doctrine of file wrapper estoppel 

In a non-use cancellation lawsuit, plaintiff alleged Kirin Co. violated doctrine of file wrapper estoppel by citing the facts that Kirin Co. has advertised health-conscious food products and beverages under the name of “KIRIN Plus-i”. In the meantime, Kirin Co. asserted registered mark “KIRIN” is used independently in configuration of the “KIRIN Plus-i” logo during a cancellation trial.

 kirin

The IP High Court denied plaintiff’s allegation on the grounds that the mark “KIRIN” has been used and become famous in itself as a source indicator of Kirin Group so long.

Thus, promotional campaign named “KIRIN Plus-i” for health-conscious food products and beverages shall not be deemed inconsistent with any assertion made by Kirin Co. at cancellation trial.

Combination mark

Plaintiff also alleged Kirin Co. uses a word mark “KIRIN” combining with the “Plus-i” logo on goods in dispute since “KIRIN Plus-i” is just used on specific food products and beverages for health-conscious consumers.

The IP High Court denied the allegation as well.

By taking into consideration of remarkable prestige of the mark “KIRIN” and visual distinction between “KIRIN” and “Plus-i” in appearance, it is reasonable to consider the portion of “KIRIN” in itself functions as a source indicator independently.

“AQUA COLLAGEN GEL” is not a descriptive term, but a source indicator by means of acquired distinctiveness.

On October 27, 2016, the IP High Court ruled to uphold a decision by JPO declaring cancellation of opposed mark “ Dr.Coo / AQUA COLLAGEN GEL” due to conflict with senior registrations containing a term of “Aqua-Collagen-Gel” (Case no. Heisei 28 (Gyo-ke) 10090).

JPO declared cancellation of the opposed mark “Dr.Coo / AQUA COLLAGEN GEL” (see below) covering goods of “Collagen gel cosmetics; collagen gel soaps” in class 3 on the grounds that the mark is confusingly similar to senior trademark registrations cited by an opponent, an owner of Dr. Ci:Labo brand.

 aqua-collagen-gel

Applicant of the opposed mark filed a lawsuit against the decision to the IP High Court. In the lawsuit, applicant alleged that it was JPO’s error to have considered “AUQ COLLAGEN GEL” as a distinctive term in relation to the designated goods of class 3 since the term merely describes quality or material of goods in dispute and thus it can’t even take a role of source indicator.

 

In view of material facts that an opponent has consecutively used the term “Aqua-Collagen-Gel” on cosmetics since 1999, cumulative quantity of the cosmetics amounts to 30 million by the year 2015, recent annual sale of the cosmetics exceeds 12 billion JP Yen and frequent TV advertisement and publications, the IP High Court admitted the term “Aqua-Collagen-Gel” has independently served function as a source indicator of the opponent even if opponent’s cosmetics depict so-called house mark “Dr. Ci:Labo” adjacent to “Aqua-Collagen-Gel”.

Based on above findings, the Court dismissed applicant’s argument to insist dissimilarity of both marks on the grounds that average consumers are likely to pay attention to a term “AQUA COLLAGEN GEL” in configuration of the opposed mark and consequently associate the term with opponent products irrespective of existence of “Dr.Coo”.

Can shape of goods be protected under the Unfair Competition Prevention Law?

Imitation of training chopsticks

Plaintiff filed a lawsuit against defendant to cease to manufacture and distribute defendant’s training chopsticks in the name of “Deluxe Training Chopsticks” by alleging it constitutes confusion with, or imitation of plaintiff’s well-known training chopsticks in the name of “Edison Chopsticks” based on violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention Law.

chopsticks

 The IP High Court decision

In a dispute of imitation of training chopsticks, the IP High Court admitted Article 2(1)(i) of the Unfair Competition Prevention Law is interpreted to include shape of goods in the meaning of “another person’s goods or business by use of an indication of goods, etc. (which shall mean a name, trade name, trademark, mark, container or package, or any other indication of goods or trade pertaining to a person’s business)”, provided that the shape has acquired “secondary meaning” as a consequence of substantial use even if it is not aimed to serve as a source indicator.

 Article 2(1)(i) of the Unfair Competition Prevention Law

Article 2

(1)　The term “unfair competition” as used in this Act shall mean any of the following:

(i)　creation of confusion with another person’s goods or business by use of an indication of goods, etc. (which shall mean a name, trade name, trademark, mark, container or package, or any other indication of goods or trade pertaining to a person’s business; the same shall apply hereinafter) that is identical or similar to an indication of goods, etc. well-known among consumers used by said person, or assignment, delivery, display for the purpose of assignment or delivery, export, import or provision through a telecommunications line of goods bearing the such an indication of goods, etc.;

Secondary meaning for shape of goods

Besides, in the assessment of secondary meaning, the shape is required:

(1)   To contain a distinctive character distinguishable from other similar goods objectively, and

(2)   To be exclusively used by specific entity for a long period of time or published for advertisement extensively, and thus the goods gets known for a source indicator of the entity among relevant consumers

It should be noted that where the shape simply results from technical function and utility of the goods and leaves no other option to adopt an alternative configuration, such shape should not be protected under Article 2(1)(i) of the Unfair Competition Prevention Law.

In the meantime, where the shape leaves other option to adopt an alternative configuration, Article 2(1)(i) of the Unfair Competition Prevention Law is applicable on the condition that the shape meet above requirements, namely (1) distinctive character and (2) well-knownness.

 

Conclusion

Based on above rules, the IP High Court found that the shape of plaintiff’s Edison chopsticks evidently derives from technical function and utility since it serves directly for consumers to learn how to use chopsticks in a correct manner.

The IP High Court admitted the shape leaves other potion to adopt an alternative configuration, however, denied plaintiff’s argument in view of lack of distinctive character since Edison chopsticks consists of a common configuration with equivalent goods. (Heisei 28 Ne 10028 ruled on July 27, 2016)

The IP High Court refused a word mark “HOKOTABAUM” due to lack of inherent distinctiveness

In a dispute regarding distinctiveness of a word mark “HOKOTABAUM” in class 30 for goods “Baumkuchen”, a ringed, hollow cake that’s made on a spit with layer after painstaking layer of batter, a German traditional cake, the IP High Court upheld the decision of JPO negating distinctivenss of the mark and decided to refuse registration of the disputed mark (Heisei28 Gyo-ke 10109 ruled on October 12,22016).

 “HOKOTA” nominally corresponds to a name of the city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, north east of Tokyo. JPO considered that the mark “HOKOTABAUM” is a term combining city name of “Hokota” with an abbreviation of “Baumkuchen” and refused the mark based on Article 3(1)(iii) of the Trademark Law since it consists solely of a mark indicating, in a common manner, the place of origin, place of sale for goods.

Plaintiff argued that relevant consumers and traders will not recognize Hokota City as a place where Baumkuchen is produced or distributed for sale because the City is not known for confectionery or cakes as local industry.

 hokotabaum

However, the Court dismissed the argument by citing decision of the Supreme Court pertinent to Article 3(1)(iii) of the Trademark Law.

 The Supreme Court decision

Article 3(1)(iii) of the Trademark Law stipulates that any trademark may not be registered if the trademark consists solely of a mark indicating, in a common manner, in the case of goods, the place of origin, place of sale, quality, raw materials, efficacy, intended purpose, quantity, shape (including shape of packages), price, the method or time of production or use, or, in the case of services, the location of provision, quality, articles to be used in such provision, efficacy, intended purpose, quantity, modes, price or method or time of provision.

The article aims to exclude trademark registration on the grounds that exclusive use of such trademark by specific entity is inappropriately detrimental to the public interest and such trademark lacks inherent distinctiveness due to general use in business, thus is unable to serve its function as a source indicator.

Besides, in order to admit the trademark as a place of origin or place of sale for goods, it is not necessary the goods in dispute is actually produced or distributed for sale in the geographical place. As long as relevant consumer or traders generally perceive likelihood of production or distribution for sale of the disputed goods in the place, it suffices for requirement.

 

The IP High Court dismissed plaintiff’s argument in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling since the fact whether relevant consumers or traders recognize Hokota City as a place of production or distribution for goods of Baumkuchen is irrelevant in adapting Article 3(1)(iii).

In assessment of general perception test, the Court questioned what relevant consumers or traders perceive when they see the word mark “HOKOTABAUM” used on “Baumkuchen produced in Hokota City”, and concluded that relevant public is likely to conceive Hokota City from the term “HOKOTA” in disputed mark.

 

Plaintiff also alleged other examples of trademark registration having similar configuration to the disputed mark in order to demonstrate inappropriateness of JPO decision and bolster adequateness of his assertion. In this respect, the IP High Court judged that Article 3(1)(iii) should be assessed on a case-by-case basis at the time of decision to trademark application respectively by taking into consideration of attentiveness usually possessed by the user and a state of transaction of the goods.