Have a Break

- Written by Patent Attorneys, Patent Engineers, Trademark Engineers, Translators, and Administrative staff -

Kaga-bocha (Kaga is a city in Ishikawa prefecture, bocha means twig tea)

  • November 2, 2022
#Regional Collective Trademark

I went to Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture over the weekend. I went to “Higashi Chaya District” famous for its traditional streets, and “Ohmicho Market,” where you can enjoy seafood. During the trip, I bought a bottle of Kaga-bocha, a type of hojicha (roasted green tea), which was very fragrant and had a deep and delicious flavor. The package of the bottle is also gorgeous and cute, and I liked it.

Kaga-bocha Kaga-bocha_regional collective trademark

On the side of the package, there is an explanation about Kaga-bocha, the last sentence reads, “Kaga-bocha is a regional collective trademark owned by the Ishikawa Prefecture Tea Merchant Industry Cooperative Association”.
A search on J Plat-Pat revealed that the trademark was registered as Japanese Trademark No. 6219164. (Rabbit)

Ishikawa Prefecture Tea Merchant Industry Cooperative Association’s Regional Collective Trademark page (Japanese only)
Kaga-bocha information on Japan Patent Office homepage (Japanese only)

E-tak® Antibacterial Spray α

  • October 26, 2022
#patent #trademark

The other day, while watching a BS (Broadcasting Satellites) news program, I saw a commercial promoting “patented ingredient XX blended!” and “patent number XXX”. Perhaps it is an occupational hazard of working at a patent office, but I took note of it when I noticed it (laugh). It is a product called “Etak® Antibacterial Spray α” (Eisai). I did a little research and here is what I found out.

Since it was an Eisai commercial, I naturally assumed that it was patented by Eisai Co., Ltd. but when I looked up “Japanese Patent No. 4830075” on J-PlatPat, a patent information platform, I found that it was a patent shared not by Eisai but by Hiroshima University and Manac Incorporated.

E-tak

Incidentally, the registered trademarks “Etak” (in katakana) and “Etak” are also owned by Campus Medico Co., Ltd. The company is a university venture that commercializes the results of research conducted at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (the company’s website also lists Japanese Patent No.4830075 under “Patents held by our company,” but according to J-PlatPat, Hiroshima University and Manac Incorporated are still the patent holders).

This area is a little confusing, but on Manac’s special Etak website, in addition to Eisai, Kurabo Industries Ltd. and Jex Inc. is introduced in the “related products” page so it seems the three companies are licensed. It is difficult to understand the situation by browsing only the websites of the licensee companies, but this time I was able to confirm the information because it was introduced in a commercial along with the patent number and was also introduced on the websites of each company.

E-tak® Antibacterial Spray α is advertised as a product that “when sprayed on doorknobs, tables, or anywhere else you are concerned about, the long-lasting antimicrobial ingredient prevents the growth of viruses and bacteria in the sprayed area,” which sounds like it would sell well after the Corona disaster in 2020, but further research revealed that it had won the Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun Award for Excellence in the Nikkei Superior Products and Services Awards in 2018, before the Corona disaster. …Did you know about this?

Related Link
Product infomation | Etak Antibacterial Spray α | Eisai Co., Ltd. (hubspotusercontent40.net) (PDF)
https://etak.manac-inc.co.jp/ (Etak special website, Japanese only)
https://www.manac-inc.co.jp/etak/index.html (Manac Incorporated Product Information, Japanese only)
CAMPUSMEDICO
https://www.nikkei.com/edit/news/special/newpro/2018/index.html (Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun Award Products 2018, Japanese only)

(blink)

Electronic Thermometer

  • October 20, 2022
#design #patent #trademark #utility model

My long-time electronic thermometer broke, so I bought a new one.
The built-in battery seems to have worn out, not only because of infection prevention measures, but also because my elderly family members have more opportunities to take their temperatures regularly.
Without time to do any preliminary research, I went to the sales floor of a local drugstore and was surprised to find several electronic thermometers available and surprisingly inexpensive despite their high functionality.

I remember that in the past, most thermometers did not have replaceable batteries to prevent infants from accidentally ingesting button batteries, but now they sell thermometers with replaceable batteries. I guess they have devised a way to prevent easy removal of the battery.
Some were waterproof and washable, which seems to be in high demand in this day and age, and some had an attached case that could be easily cleaned with alcohol.

After much deliberation, I chose the Terumo thermometer we had been using previously and purchased a thermometer with a sound pressure about twice as loud and easy to hear at the end of a temperature test. It can predict temperature in about 20 seconds and measure temperature as speedily as a temperature check at a hospital.

Terumo's electronic thermometers Terumo's registered trademark

The Terumo logo in the image is naturally a registered trademark (Japanese Registration No. 6191923 Protective No. 01), but a further search on J-PlatPat revealed more than 250 patents, utility models, and designs for Terumo’s electronic thermometers.

By the way, Terumo thermometers have had a 100-year history. What is the 100th anniversary commemorative thermometer sold last year! If you are interested, check the following site♪ (Cacao)
100th anniversary commemorative thermometer website (Japanese only)

Nagoya Kamaboko Uomata

  • October 14, 2022
#trademark

A family member of one of our firm’s employees bought a lot of hanpen (fish paste) at “Nagoya Kamaboko Uomata,” which was introduced on TV. It was mentioned in the firm that the hanpen were delicious.

Nagoya Kamaboko Uomata hanpen

I looked up “Uomata” at work and found that it was the store for which we had registered the trademark.

Nagoya Kamaboko Uomata trademark Nagoya Kamaboko Uomata trademark registration

If you are ever in Nagoya, please visit Uomata.
We recommend their shaved ice in the summer, baked sweet potatoes in the winter, and special soft-serve ice cream and shakes all year round. (Rice Ball)

Nagoya Kamaboko Uomata soft-serve ice cream Nagoya Kamaboko Uomata shaved ice

“TRICK OR TREAT” Snack Package

  • October 12, 2022
#trademark

It is October, and the end of this month is Halloween.
Although not as many as in the past, Halloween goods can be seen everywhere in town, reminding us that autumn has arrived.
The most familiar Halloween goods are the standard snacks sold in supermarkets and other stores. Illustrations of pumpkins, ghosts, witches, skeletons, bats, black cats, etc., are colored orange, black, and purple for Halloween. All of the cute illustrations are eye-catching.
Looking closely, it seems that many large bags of snacks are sold with Halloween illustrations. Just because the package design is different from the usual, it gives a fun and rich feeling.

TRICK OR TREAT

Incidentally, the “TRICK OR TREAT” on the top of the package of the product introduced here was registered as a trademark, but the registration date is 47 years ago. I was surprised to learn that they had already registered a trademark related to Halloween nearly 50 years ago, when the word “Halloween” had not yet taken root. (Time)

Registered Trademark
Owner: Morozoff Limited
Japanese Trademark Registration No. 1114436
Registration Date: April 9, 1975

Cooling Ring

  • October 5, 2022
#patent

Early this summer, my daughter asked me to buy her a cooling ring to wear around her neck, and I purchased the product shown in the photo.

Cooling Ring

Inside the ring-shaped tube is a liquid that freezes (becomes solid) at temperature below 28 Celsius. When placed in the freezer, etc., it solidifies quickly and stays cold.

Cooling Ring Cooling Ring

Since it is used around the neck, it cannot cool the whole body, but my daughter says that the part of the body that touches the ring feels cool and comfortable.

By the way, the enclosed instruction sheet mentioned the patent number (Japanese Patent No. 6895671).

Cooling Ring

If you are interested in the contents of the patent, please check it on J-Plat Pat. (Hiro)
JP,6895671,B : The neck cooling device

Okin Mochi

  • September 28, 2022
#trademark

The other day, I received an “Okin Mochi” from a friend who went to Mie Prefecture for a visit. Okin mochi are flat and round grass-covered rice cakes covered with a generous amount of potato starch and filled with sweet bean paste. In addition to its simple and good taste, the small size of each rice cake made me want two or three more.

Okin Mochi

The Okin mochi can only be purchased at Okin Chaya in Taki County, Mie Prefecture, so if you are interested in Okin mochi, please take a drive and visit Okin Chaya. I would like to go there.

The trademark “Okin Mochi” was registered on November 1, 1975 for the designated goods “confectionery and bread” (Japanese Registration No. 1168921). (Sakuramochi)

Emergency Food and Patents

  • September 21, 2022
#patent #trademark #utility model

September 1 was Disaster Prevention Day.
In our family, we check our emergency supplies every year on this day.
For rolling stock, we especially check items with expiration dates and use-by dates, such as water, emergency food, and dry cell batteries, and replace those that will expire before next year’s Disaster Prevention Day.

rolling stock

Disaster prevention supplies are not only for huge earthquakes, but also for flood damage during this season of frequent typhoons. Not only can emergency food be stored for a long time and do not require heating, but they have become so tasty that they exceed the image of emergency food, and I feel that efforts are being made to make them as close as possible to meals in normal times.
Efforts are also evident from the large number of patents, utility models, and trademarks found when searching for keywords such as “emergency food” on J-PlatPat.

Every year, every time I check my stockpile, I try to put this and that in it, and I have trouble keeping it in my backpack. (Syszo)

Disaster prevention supplies

The Age of AI Painting?

  • September 14, 2022
#copyright #design

This is Swimmer.
These days, the social networking sites are talking about an app that lets AI learn and draw pictures.

AI

To make it learn, you have to change the approach many times and make adjustments, and you need to have a good artistic sense to make a proper work. It seems to be very easy to complete a picture if you are not concerned about the final result. It is very interesting.
If the original material to be studied is something to which you own the rights, there is no problem. However, if you use someone else’s work, what happens to the design rights and copyrights of the material? What are the terms and conditions of the app?

We will continue to keep a close eye on the evolution of AI, which has both pros and cons, including the rights to the resulting pictures.

Joshinko

  • September 7, 2022
#trademark

Joshinko is used to make Steamed Cakes, Mitarashi Dumplings, Kashiwa Mochi, etc. The trademark and registration number on the Joshinko packaging made me want to pick up the product.

Joshinko

I enjoyed Joshinko made into Steamed Cakes and Mitarashi Dumplings.
The “Kyo-nokambutsuya” is a registered trademark of Sanada Co., Ltd (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 5034924).
I am interested in the “Kyoーnohoshiimoya (Kyo-no- Dried Sweet Potato- ya)” product (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6580836) and the “Protein Kinako ” product (Trademark application filed on April 13, 2022), and other products that Sanada Co., Ltd. owns. (Raspberry)

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