EMAIL: info@okeno-ip.jp
No. 098; Section 4-1-11: confusing similarity refusal;
“INSIGHT” v. “Incyte” logo;
Appeal No. 2013-15620 (July 8,
2014)
Bottom line: The Board found “INSIGHT” not similar to “Incyte” logo.
The applicant filed
an application for “INSIGHT” in standard character designating clinical
examination, hospitals, providing medical information, etc. in Class 44. The examiner refused the application, citing
a registration for “Incyte” logo designating providing information relating to
viral, hematological, ontological, auto-immune, inflammatory, metabolic and
dermatological disorder via a web site in Class 44 and the other goods and
services in Classes 5 and 42.
<Cited mark>
The designated
services of the applied-for mark are related to those of the cited
registration. So, the main issue is
whether the applied-for mark is similar to the cited mark or
not.
The Board compared
both marks and found as follows:
<As for the
applied-for mark>
“INSIGHT” is an
English dictionary word and is pronounced [i-n-sa-i-to].
<As for the cited
mark>
- The cited mark
consists of “Incyte” and two circular arcs. The right arc reaches to letter “n”
and the left arc to letter “t”.
- “Incyte” is a fancy
word and has no particular meaning. And
the mark is pronounced [i-n-sa-i-to] in English-wise as English is familiar to
Japanese people.
<Comparison>
- The marks are
significantly different in appearance.
- The marks are
identical in sound.
- The marks are not
similar in meaning as “Incyte” of the cited mark has no particular
meaning.
- Considering all the
various factors including impression, recollection and association, the marks
are not similar to each other despite the identical sound.
And so the Board
reversed the refusal, and granted registration of
“INSIGHT”.
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