Have a Break

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

Japanese Sweets Trademark

  • April 20, 2022
#trademark

This is swimmer.
I wanted to buy something as a souvenir for visiting my relatives who live in a nearby prefecture, so I browsed the website of a local Japanese sweets shop. Among the delicious-looking products, the name of the store’s representative Japanese sweets was marked as a registered Japanese trademark, and an image of the Japanese trademark’s registration certificate was also displayed.
It was an event that made me take a new look at their attitude toward protecting their own brand.

Dried Gourd (Kanpyo)

  • April 6, 2022
#design

Kanpyo is delicious when eaten with sushi or simmered dishes.
When I bought Kanpyo, there was a writing indicating the Japanese design registration No. 476243 on the package. The design of the Kanpyo packaging bag was registered. Japanese design registrations have a period of duration, and this Japanese design registration was made by Komine Cellophane store on January 23, 1978.

Dried Gourd Kanpyo

In the Japanese design registration of this packaging bag, the transparent part was explained, the color printing was used as a reference for the original, and the drawing was shown in black and white.
At present, there are about 4519 design registrations in Japan for packaging bags as articles related to designs. Regarding packaging bags, not only patents and utility models but also design registrations protect the rights and I thought there were many design registrations for packaging bags. (Raspberry)

Multicolor penlight patent; what happened to it afterwards

  • March 30, 2022
#patent

There is a TV program that introduces the work and life of the people who TV crew visited at the location and revisit them after a few years. Following that method, this time, I will inform you about what happened to the patent for “multicolor penlight” (Japanese patent publication No. 5608827, registered on September 5, 2014) introduced in my blog six years ago (December 16, 2015).

This patent was filed with trial for invalidation of a patent on March 19, 2019, five years after registration on the ground of inventive step. The patentee, TurnON co.,ltd., corrected claims 1 and 2, but the JPO stated that “this invention could easily be come up with by those skilled in the art based on the technical matters and well-known techniques described in Exhibit A1 and Exhibit A2” and on July 28, 2020, an invalidation decision was made. In response, the patentee filed a lawsuit to revoke the trial decision in the Intellectual Property High Court.

On October 6, 2021, the Intellectual Property High Court ruled that the trial decision made by the JPO had an error in finding the subject of the invention of Exhibit No. 1 and decided to revoke the trial decision. As this decision was finalized, the JPO ruled on January 13, 2022 that the Patent was not invalid.
After all the twists and turns, the patent has survived. The “multicolor penlight”, which is the target product of this patent, is also posted on the TurnON website. (Conan)
Link
https://turnon.co.jp/patent/ (Japanese Only)

Noodles from Aichi, Japan

  • March 23, 2022
#utility model

If there are any noodles from Aichi, Japan, miso nikomi udon and kishimen (flat noodles) are famous, but curry udon such as “Toyohashi curry udon” is also one of the local gourmet foods. Flat dried noodles are easy to stick to, and once they stick together, they will become uneven and it is difficult to boil them well. The curry-nikomi udon I was given as a gift the other day is made with the special shape of the noodles, which is hard to stick to, and was registered as a utility model by the company called Kintobi Shiga, whose head office is in Gamagori (Japanese Utility model registration No. 3231972).

Kintobi Shiga curry-nikomi udon Kintobi Shiga curry-nikomi udon

There seems to be miso nikomi udon in the same series, so I’d like to try it next time. (Marron)

Agatha Christie

  • March 16, 2022
#trademark

The writer who wrote the original story of the film “Death on the Nile”, released in February this year, is Agatha Christie, a writer famous for her mystery novels. After reading “ABC Murder” when I was a student, I’ve always liked her novels and I’ve bought a set of 3 books “Death on the Nile”, “The ABC Murder,” and “Murder on the Oriental Express” before. This time, when I saw the trailer for the movie, I remembered about them and recently started reading “Death on the Nile”.

Agatha Christie Death on the Nile

When I searched for “Agatha Christie” on J Plat-Pat, I found 3 trademark registrations for “AGATHA CHRISTIE”. All applications were filed on March 4, 1996 and are registered. There was no registration for Japanese wording of “Death on the Nile”, “ナイルに死す”, but “DEATH ON THE NILE” is internationally registered.
After reading the original, I would like to go see a movie. (Rabbit)

TV Game

  • March 8, 2022
#Inventions of the Day

Today, I would like to introduce an invention related to March 8th. Introducing this time is a home video game console invented by German-born American inventor Ralph Henry Baer (March 8, 1922-December 6, 2014). He was born exactly 100 years ago today in Pirmasens, in the southwestern Germany.

Being a Jew, he left Germany with his family in 1938, when the Nazi persecution of Jews became fierce. In the United States where he fled, he studied by himself and worked as a factory worker. In 1943, he was convened in World War II and served in the army. After the war, his took a bachelor’s degree in television engineering (1949) and began his life as an inventor.

In 1966, while working on airplane radar at the munitions company Sanders Associates (currently part of BAE Systems), he began prototyping game consoles such as the “Brown Box.” The licensed Magnavox was launched as the “Odyssey” in 1972, leading to the subsequent rise of the video game industry. However, even though it produced the most profitable business at that time, it was not recognized by Sanders. However, his willingness to invent was never lost, and it is said that he obtained more than 150 patents in his lifetime. (blink)

Related link:
Ralph H. Baer – Wikipedia

Fuku-Can and Good Luck Charms

  • March 2, 2022
#design #intellectual property #patent #trademark #utility model

One of the stores I like to stop by regularly is MUJI. While I have a variety of favorite products, I was able to buy the pre-ordered “Fuku-Can (Fortune Can)” for the first time last year, which I had been curious about for a long time. This year, I won the lottery and was able to buy one.

The “Fuku-Can” has a gift card with an amount equal to the purchase price (2,022 yen this year) and Japanese lucky charms in it. There are cute and interesting lucky charms in the can, and it’s fun just to look at the enclosed flyer that introduces them on both sides. It is also an opportunity to become familiar with Japanese culture rooted in the region.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Fuku-Can, which was launched on New Year’s Day 2012 with 14 kinds of lucky charms from four prefectures in Tohoku, with the intention of supporting Tohoku’s recovery from the earthquake.
“CREATIVE IMAGINATION” exhibition was held at ATELIER MUJI GINZA in Ginza to celebrate the 10th anniversary the other day. I would have loved to drop by if it was close by.

Now, a search on J-PlatPat shows that there are 94 trademarks that hit the keyword “mujirushi ryouhin”. All of them are already registered. A search for the company name “Ryohin Keikaku” shows 224 trademarks, 368 designs, and 40 patents and utility models, indicating that the company is making extensive use of intellectual property.

Fuku-Can and Good Luck Charms

The photo shows the lucky charms that were included in last year’s and this year’s Fuku-Can. (I bought two of each).
From left to right, Kyoto City’s “Kyoto Ceramic Doll Koban (Ox),” Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture’s “Fukutaro,” Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture’s “Oku Hariko (Tiger),” and Tamana County, Kumamoto Prefecture’s “Mud Mask (4 pieces).
The cans can also be used as pen holders, and I’m sure I’ll be collecting them every year♪ (Cacao)

CREATIVE IMAGINATION| ATELIER MUJI | 無印良品

Hand blender

  • February 24, 2022
#trademark

The Corona disaster has increased the amount of time I spend at home. I often make sweets during my happy time indoors.
Using a whisk and a rubber spatula, I can make many kinds of sweets. For whipping cream and egg whites and making meringue sweets, I use a hand mixer.

hand blender

The electric whisk I bought this time is marked as made in 2021, and it comes with the electric machine itself, a hand blender and a whisk that can be attached to it.
With this electric whisk, I could easily make meringues in a matter of minutes.

This electric whisk has the registered trademark “Abitelax”. The owner of the trademark is Yoshii Electric Co., Ltd., Japanese Trademark Registration No. 4295194, registered on July 16, 1999, and the designated product is an electric mixer.

Abitelax

I made a lemon chiffon cake with this electric whisk, and it turned out fluffier than the conventional method.
Next is the strawberry season. I would like to use this electric whisk to make strawberry cake. (Raspberry)

Looking for earphones

  • February 16, 2022
#design #patent #trademark

The other day, my old earphones broke, so I decided to buy new ones. When I went to the electronics store, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of products and the range of prices. After much deliberation, I bought one that was similar in design to the previous one, but the Bluetooth function did not work properly, perhaps due to an early defect, and I had an embarrassing experience of sound leaking on the train. I was so traumatized by this that I ended up buying a new one with a cord, but it didn’t fit my ear size and kept coming off, so I took the plunge and bought another new cordless one. Here it is.

earphones

This time, I chose a less expensive one, but I am very satisfied with it. It doesn’t leak sound, fits well in my ears, and is very comfortable. The more expensive ones may have a better sound, but once you get used to them, you won’t mind so much. I am amazed at the convenience of wireless.

I searched for “wireless earphones” on J-plat pat and found 194 patents, 200 designs, and one trademark. There was no result of the one I bought, but I would like to thank the people who invented such useful thing and use them carefully. (Marigold)

Galbo

  • February 9, 2022
#trademark

The other day, I bought the chocolate “Galbo” (Meiji Co., Ltd.).
I remembered that when it was first released (in 1996), it was in the shape of a bar and the chocolate was exquisitely soaked into the bar.
As time has passed and we live in the modern age, what used to come in a box has transformed into a round shape in a pouch.

Meiji Chocolate Galbo

They are easy to eat on the commute to and from work or school, and in the case of the Corona disaster, I like them as a remote work companion. It is in a shape that keeps your fingers clean with the coating.
The chocolate impregnation process is the core of this product, and it has been loved by people for a long time while the core remains the same and the coating changes. (Time)

Japanese Registered Trademark
Trademark (standard letters): Galbo
Registration number: No. 5431592
Date of registration: August 12, 2011

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