Have a Break

#trademark

Hi, I’m Hiro.
My children often play with a toy called “MAGNA-TILES”.

Each side of the square or triangular plate has a magnet, and by attaching the sides together, you can make various shapes, flat or three-dimensional. The magnetism is not too strong and not too weak, but just the right strength so that even children with weak hands can easily attach and remove the magnets.

On the right side of “MAGNA-TILES” on the package, there is a mark (circled R) indicating a registered trademark.

Since “MAGNA-TILES” is a U.S. product, I checked the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System) and found several registrations for the character trademark “MAGNA-TILES” (US Registration numbers: 2654320, 5622354, 6247284, 6323690).

Of these, the one with the registration number 2654320 was registered for “Manipulative toys, namely, blocks and puzzles” as Designated Goods and Services, with an application date of February 6, 2002 and a registration date of November 26, 2002. The current owner of the trademark is MVW HOLDINGS, INC.

“I checked J-PlatPat to see if “MAGNA-TILES” was registered as a trademark in Japan, and found that it was registered under Japanese Registration number 5816110. The designated goods or services here are “educational toys, block toys, building blocks (toys),” with the application date is July 2, 2015, the registration date is December 25, 2015, and the trademark holder is People Corporation (Tokyo, Chuo-ku).

Further research revealed that MAGNA-TILES is the U.S. version of an educational toy called Pythagoras, which People Corporation began selling in Japan in 1992 (MVW (formerly Valtech) began selling it in 1997) (People Corporation: ピタゴラスとは？)

The trademark “Pythagoras(ピタゴラス)” was applied for in Japan by People Corporation, Ltd. on December 25, 1991, and registered on May 31, 1995 (Japanese Registration number: No. 2707566).

#trademark

When I was net-surfing the other day, I came across a recipe for spiced curry by a spice cooking expert named “Indo Curry-Ko”. (“Indo” is India in Japanese, “-Ko” is commonly used for a girl’s name in Japanese)

Her recipe basically uses only three spices: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and turmeric (I like spicy food, so I add cayenne pepper). The other ingredients are　what you can easily find, such as onions, tomatoes, and yogurt. Just with these ingredients, you can make an authentic curry with the tasty scent of the spices. I love it so much that I keep making it again and again. I hope to eat a lot of spice curry this summer and get through it with energy.

“Indo Curry-Ko” is registered as a trademark for the designated product “Curry” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6176763, Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6393357). (Sakuramochi)

#trademark

I found out that Hotel Sacher in Vienna was running a limited-time campaign to send sachertorte with free shipping worldwide, so I ordered it.

Sachertorte is a cake made by coating the entire chocolate-flavored sponge with chocolate, which was invented by the cook Franz Sacher in 1832. It was served at the restaurant and cafe of Hotel Sacher, which was later opened by his second son Eduard and that seems to be the beginning of sachertorte.
The recipe was kept secret from the public, but when the hotel fell into financial difficulties, Demel, a confectionery store that served the royal family of Vienna, obtained the right to sell it,
After that, the recipe became widely known, and Hotel Sacher filed a lawsuit against Demel seeking an injunction against the use and sale of trademark rights, but after seven years of trial, both sides were accepted to sell sachertorte.
As a result, Demel’s Sacher Torte is sold as “Demel’s Sachertorte ” and Hotel Sacher’s is sold as “Original Sacher Torte”.

The Original Sacher Torte I ordered arrived safely withstanding the heat. It fits perfectly in the wooden box and did not crumble.

The cake is intensely sweet and dense, but the sour apricot jam sandwiched in between the sponge accentuates the flavor. The sweetness of the cake can be softened a bit by serving it with sugar-free whipped cream, just like the one served at the hotel. In the coronavirus crisis, I was able to have a valuable overseas experience. (Syszo)

Sacher Torte(Wikipedia)

#trademark

I have mentioned in one of my previous articles that trademark applications were filed for the haori (jacket) patterns of the characters that appear in Damon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The first examination results came out.
My previous article: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba-related trademark application

The Giyu, Shinobu, and Rengoku patterns were registered as trademarks on June 3, 2021. (Registration numbers 6397486, 6397487, and 6397488)
If you are interested, select “Trademark Number Inquiry” from “Trademark” of J-PlatPat and enter the above number in the registration number field to see the detailed information.

Personally, I thought Shinobu and Rengoku patterns had possibilities of being registered, but Giyu pattern might be difficult, so it was rather as expected. The haori with two-side-patterns of Giyu may have contributed to his discriminating power.

In addition, on the same day, the character names of 炭次郎(Tanjiro), 禰豆子(Nezuko), 善逸(Zenitsu),伊之助(Inosuke), and 義勇(Giyu) as well as 全集中(Full Concentration), 無限列車(Infinite Train), and 鬼殺隊(Demon Slayer corps) were registered as trademarks in standard characters. The right holder for all of them is Shueisha Co., Ltd.

On the other hand, the reasons for refusal were notified for the Tanjiro, the Nezuko, and the Zenitsu patterns. All applicable articles are Article 3, Paragraph 1, Item 6 and are certified as having no discriminating power.
There is a good chance that the applicant, Shueisha, will respond to the three reasons for refusal, so I would like to continue to look at future examination results. (Marron)

#trademark

Recently, I’ve had my new glasses made for desk work.

After consulting with a shop assistant, I chose glasses of the inhouse brand called “Cotori”.
The registered trademark logo and attached illustration match the brand concept of “heart-tweeting lightness” and I felt it was easy to imagine the characteristics of the glasses because it properly expressed them.

I was thrilled to get new glasses that look and feel light.
The special case and the wiping cloth that came with the glasses as gifts are also wonderful ♪
Even though I took a long time to make various requests, the shop assistant said, “I enjoyed making them.” and I was able to leave the store with a better feeling. (Cacao)

●Japanese Trademark Registration No.6259543 (J-PlatPat)
●Cotori brand shop (Japanese only)