Have a Break

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

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

Sanuki Udon noodles

  • February 2, 2022
#trademark

Hello. This is Hiro.
The other day, my sister-in-law and her husband gave us a souvenir of Sanuki udon that they bought in Kagawa prefecture, where they went home.

Sanuki Udon noodles

Because of my work, I was wondering if the trademark of the package is registered.
I looked up the manufacturer name “Ishimaru Seimen Co., Ltd.”, which was written on the back of the package, and found “石を丸で囲んだ図形(the figure with a circle around the stone)” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 5064997) at the top of the package and “讃岐伝統の味／石丸(Traditional Sanuki taste/ Ishimaru)”(Japanese Trademark Registration No. 5061692) at the bottom have been registered.

Sanuki Udon noodles Sanuki Udon noodles

Two trademarks are protected by trademark rights. The company’s credit will continue to accumulate in these trademarks.

Because it was authentic Sanuki udon noodles, it was very delicious with a chewy and strong texture.
The desire to visit Kagawa prefecture one day and eat in many udon restaurants there increased inside me.

Throat care

  • January 27, 2022
#design

The other day, I bought Ryukakusan (powder type medicine for throat). I used to lick throat lozenges when my throat became dry and irritated, but I heard that this medicine was good for throat problems, I promptly tried it. Certainly, the throat feels more refreshing and comfortable than a throat lozenge. I would like to keep my throat healthy with this medicine, in addition to gargling this winter.

Ryukakusan

Since this throat medicine is a powder type, the product comes with a spoon to scoop the powder. The spoon has three holes so that the scooped powder can quickly fall into the mouth, and this design is registered as a design (Japanese Design Registration No. 1573114, Japanese Design Registration No. 1574669). (Sakuramochi)

Ryukakusan Spoon

Pokayoke; Ingenuity to prevent accidental mistakes

  • January 20, 2022
#patent #trademark #utility model

The TV programs I often watch include “0655” and “2355”. The content varies from day to day, but “Pokayoke” is sometimes introduced. “Pokayoke” is a mechanism or device installed in a production line, for example, in a factory to prevent work mistakes (from Wikipedia). “Pokayoke”, a solution to make people notice their mistakes and thus to prevent “Poka”, accidental, small mistakes, may be famous as one of the basic concepts of Toyota Production System. It seems to be sometimes called “Poka-Yoke” even outside Japan.

In the program, one “Pokayoke” was introduced. When cleaning the inside of a large tank, you will go inside with a deck brush, you can prevent forgetting to take out the deck brush by connecting a string to the deck brush and keeping the string out of the tank. With such a little ingenuity, you can prevent big mistakes.

If you search for “Pokayoke” on J-PlatPat, 34 patents and utility models and 10 trademarks will be found. Mistakes are common in any job, not just in the factory production line. I also want to do my daily work while devising with “Pokayoke”. (Syszo)

Pokayoke; Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poka-yoke
E-Tele(NHK) 0655:https://www.nhk.jp/p/e0655/ (Japanese Only)
E-Tele(NHK) 2355:https://www.nhk.jp/p/e2355/ (Japanese Only)

Memories of first writing of the year: Japanese ink culture

  • January 12, 2022
#patent

This is swimmer.
In the calligraphy class I attended when I was little, at the occasion of first writing of the year, we used to make ink by rubbing solid inkstick on the inkstone instead of using commercially available ink.
It is often watery even after rubbing it many times, and I remember having a hard time because it did not have the ideal concentration and stickiness.
Every year when New Year time comes, I feel grateful for the convenience of the ink that can be used immediately after pouring it from the container into the inkstone.
The ink was patented in Japan in 1893.

Inkstick – Wikipedia

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