We are a boutique IP firm located in Osaka, Japan, specializing in trademark, design, specific unfair competition and copyright matters.

Section 3-1 of Japanese Trademark Act refers to inherently indistinctive marks that are not registrable, categorized as follows:

Section 3-1-1: generic term
Section 3-1-2: commonly-used mark
Section 3-1-3: descriptive mark
Section 3-1-4: surname and corporate name, etc.
Section 3-1-5: simple and common mark
Section 3-1-6: other indistinctive mark

Descriptive refusal (Section 3-1-3) is the most typical refusals applicants receive in practice.  Misdescriptive refusal (Section 4-1-16) is also often issued in combination with descriptive refusal.

Please click here for exact wording of each provision:

UPDATE

October 25, 2016

No. 175; Section 3-1-5: indistinctiveness refusal; registrability of single-letter mark “r” in a circle; Appeal No. 2016-388 (June 3, 2016)

Septembert 7, 2016

No.172; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness refusal; BABY-DRY for disposable babies' diapers, etc.; Appeal No. 2015-16017 (March 23, 2016)

Septembert 6, 2016

No. 171; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness refusal; “BLUE” for air purifying, air deodorizing and air filtering apparatus and installations; Appeal No. 2014-650075 (April 30, 2015)

August 8, 2016

No. 168; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; stylized “auto mower” for robotic lawn mowers; Appeal No. 2015-3672 (October 27, 2015)

April 13, 2016

No. 165; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “OLYMPIA” for metal materials for building or construction, etc.; Appeal No. 2015-3918 (October 6, 2015)

April 11, 2016

No. 164; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness; Trade dress of a gas station (a 3D mark); Appeal No. 2015-2219 (July 17, 2015)

April 7, 2016

No.162; Section 3-1-3: invalidation action; Is stylized HandySealer descriptive for electrical sealers for household purposes?; Invalidation No. 2014-890045 (September 1, 2015)

February 4, 2016

No. 156; Section 3-1-6: indistinctiveness refusal; “PREMIUM WATER / HighQuality Water Delivery Service” for drinking water; Appeal No. 2015-143 (Augustl 17, 2015)

January 25, 2016

No. 155; Section 3-1-5: indistinctiveness refusal; registrability of a mark composed of two alphabets and numeral; Appeal No. 2013-4152 (December 25, 2014)

December 3, 2015

No. 152; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness; a melon device mark; Appeal No. 2015-7940 (September 10, 2015)

November 27, 2015

No. 151; Section 3-1-6: indistinctiveness refusal; registrability of a mark composed of two alphabets; Appeal No. 2015-650002 (June 24, 2015)

November 17, 2015

No. 148; Section 3-1-5: indistinctiveness refusal; registrability of a simple triangle mark; Appeal No. 2015-6576 (July 22, 2015)

October 30, 2015

No. 147; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “Lovely Pink” for stationery, bags, etc.; Appeal No. 2014-9457(June 3, 2015)

October 29, 2015

No. 146; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness; EXTRA for chewing gum and confectionery; Opposition No. 2014-900050 (February 6, 2015)

October 7, 2015

No. 143; Section 3-1-5: indistinctiveness refusal; registrability of a mark composed of one alphabet and numeral; Appeal No. 2015-1303 (April 30, 2015)

October 5, 2015

No. 142; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness; a device mark shaped like a Baumkuchen for Baumkuchen (pastry); Opposition No. 2013-900252 (February 3, 2015)

September 18, 2015

No. 138; Section 3-1-6, 4-1-16: indistinctiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “THUN logo” for ceramics for household purposes; Appeal No. 2014-2982 (March 9, 2015)

July 31, 2015

No. 132; Section 3-1-5: indistinctiveness refusal; registrability of a mark composed of two alphabets; Appeal No. 2014-1492 (April 30, 2015)

May 29, 2015

No. 128; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness refusal; MULTI HOME COOKER for food or beverage processing machines and electric cookers; Appeal No. 2014-11768 (December 2, 2014)

May 28, 2015

No. 127; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “MAILLE” for aprons; Appeal No. 2014-14373 (March 2, 2015)

May 27, 2015

No. 126; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “NanoXray” for radiological apparatus for medical use, etc.; Appeal No. 2014-650050 (November 25, 2014)

May 26, 2015

No. 125; Section 3-1-6: indistinctiveness refusal; “Class 3 Glass” for glass products; Appeal No. 2014-650011 (November 26, 2014)

April 22, 2015

No. 123; Section 3-1-6: indistinctiveness refusal; registrability of stylized TYPE; Appeal No. 2014-10227 (December 18, 2014)

March 31, 2015

No. 121; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness/misdescriptiveness refusal; KIDS TABLET in katakana for electronic machines and apparatus, etc.; Appeal No. 2014-4055 (November 19, 2014)

February 17, 2015

No. 117; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “ROPE GRIPPER” for emergency rope brake; Appeal No. 2014-650036 (September 2, 2014)

January 13, 2015

No. 114; Section 3-1-5: indistinctiveness refusal; registrability of alpha-numerical mark; Appeal No. 2014-2228 (July 25, 2014)

January 9, 2015

No. 113; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness refusal; EasyCurl for curling tongs and hair driers; Appeal No. 2013-11527 (April 16, 2014)

January 8, 2015

No. 112; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness refusal; TIVOLI for confectionery, etc. in Class 30; Appeal No. 2013-299 (September 25, 2014)

November 17, 2014

No. 110; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness; “NATURAL HONEY” for bleaching preparations for laundry use, soaps, cosmetics, etc.; Opposition No. 2012-685012 (May 10, 2013)

November 11, 2014

No. 106; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “HERBAL OIL GOLD with its transliteration in katakana” for cosmetics, etc; Appeal No. 2013-18944 (July 25, 2014)

October 1, 2014

No. 097; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “LANCASTER” for confectionery, bread, etc.; Appeal No. 2013-19740(June 17, 2014)

September 10, 2014

No. 092; Section 3-1-6: indistinctiveness refusal as to a figure mark consisting of two colors; Appeal No. 2013-22063 (June 2, 2014)

September 9, 2014

No. 091; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness/misdescriptiveness refusal; Healthy fryer for fryers in Class 11; Appeal No. 2013-25918(June 16, 2014)

August 18, 2014

No. 084; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness/misdescriptiveness refusal; LEATHEREDITIONS for furniture etc.; Appeal No. 2013-650050 (February 5, 2014)

August 7, 2014

No. 081; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness refusal; BLACKBODY for various goods/services in Classes 9-12, 20 and 42; Appeal No. 2012-650042(September 12, 2013)

July 10, 2014

No. 073; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “ePTFE” for chemical processing machines, apparatus and their parts, etc.; Appeal No. 2013-15595 (February 19, 2014)

June 23, 2014

No. 064; Section 3-1-6, 4-1-16: indistinctiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “K-PIPE” for two-wheeled motorized vehicles; Appeal No. 2013-21516 (April 7, 2014)

June 11, 2014

No. 059; Section 3-1-5: indistinctiveness refusal; registrability of alpha-numerical mark; Appeal No. 2013-21351 (February 20, 2014)

June 9, 2014

No. 057; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness refusal; “hybrid” for painting machines and apparatus, protective suits, etc.; Appeal No. 2012-4232 (October 22, 2013)

June 3, 2014

No. 053; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness refusal; stylized “ThaiCurry” for pre-cooked curry stew produced in Thailand; Appeal No. 2013-8456(January 14, 2014)

May 12, 2014

No. 042; Section 3-1-3/4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “épiler” for cosmetics; Appeal No. 2013-10731(February 21, 2014)

May 9, 2014

No. 041; Section 3-1-3/4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “Storage. Networking. Accelerated.” for integrated circuits, etc.; Appeal No. 2013-13 (January 20, 2014)

May 2, 2014

No. 039; Section 3-1-3/4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; CHECKER for catheters; Appeal No. 2013-15792(January 21, 2014)

April 24, 2014

No. 037; Section 3-1-3: descriptiveness refusal; “common manner” of representation of marks; Appeal No. 2013-2887 (November 18, 2013) and Appeal No. 2013-10355 (November 28, 2013)

April 23, 2014

No. 036; Section 3-1-4: common surname refusal; stylized Suda; Appeal No. 2013-21131 (February 3, 2014)

April 4, 2014

No. 030; Section 3-1-6: indistinctiveness refusal; NATURALWIDESTRONG in katakana for floor boards; Appeal No. 2013-11232 (December 26, 2013)

April 3, 2014

No. 029; Section 3-1-3/4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; MiniLung for medical apparatus and instruments; Appeal No. 2013-650047 (November 20, 2013)

March 28, 2014

No. 027; Section 3-1-3/4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; 3DFIT for diapers for infants; Appeal No. 2013-15455(December 20, 2013)

March 20, 2014

No. 025; Section 3-1-6: indistinctiveness refusal; "ENTERPRISE" not inherently distinctive for Class 9 goods; Appeal No. 2012-23602 (October 24, 2013)

March 17, 2014

No. 024; Section 3-1-3: indistinctiveness refusal; inherent distinctiveness of blister-pack design; Appeal No. 2013-11413 (November 7, 2013)

March 13, 2014

No. 023; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “BeSafe (stylized)”; Appeal No. 2012-650102 (October 31, 2013)

February 20, 2014

No.014; Section 3-1-3, 4-1-16: descriptiveness and misdescriptiveness refusal; “SAVON NOIR (standard character)”; Appeal No. 2013-5278 (September 24, 2013)

February 12, 2014

No.012; Section 3-1-5: indistinctiveness refusal; “P3D (standard character)”; Appeal No. 2013-13083 (November 11, 2013)

January 29, 2014

No.005; Section 3-1-3: invalidation action; Is “EXTRA COLD” descriptive for retail/wholesale services for beer and providing beer?; Invalidation No. 2012-890104 (September 5, 2013)

January 23, 2014

No.001; Section 3-1-6: indistinctiveness refusal; “ENERGY DESIGN” for building and housing services; Appeal No. 2012-13224 (August 6, 2013)