{"id":101,"date":"2026-03-18T22:41:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T13:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/?p=101"},"modified":"2026-03-23T00:03:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T15:03:24","slug":"relaxation-of-requirements-for-trademarks-containing-another-persons-name-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/?p=101","title":{"rendered":"Relaxation of Requirements for Trademarks Containing Another Person\u2019s Name in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Japan has relaxed the requirements for registering trademarks that include another person\u2019s name under an amendment to the Trademark Law enacted on 14 June 2023<\/strong>. The revised provisions apply to applications filed on or after 1 April 2024<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Under the previous system, a trademark containing another person\u2019s name could not be registered without obtaining consent from all individuals with the same name<\/strong>, regardless of the fame of the name or the nature of the mark (Article 4(1)(viii)).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This strict rule often led to refusals even for well-known brands, especially in industries such as fashion, where personal names (e.g., founders or designers) are commonly used as trademarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Key Changes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Introduction of a \u201cFame Requirement\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consent is now required only for names that are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Widely recognized among relevant consumers<\/strong> in the field of goods or services concerned.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    If the name is not sufficiently well-known, consent from all individuals with the same name is no longer required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    2. Additional Government Ordinance Requirements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To prevent abusive filings, two additional conditions must be satisfied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • There must be a reasonable relationship<\/strong> between the applicant and the name included in the mark
      (e.g., the applicant\u2019s own name, founder\u2019s name, or a name already used in business)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The application must be filed without malicious intent<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n

      3. Examination Framework<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      As illustrated in the flowchart on page 2<\/em>, the JPO examines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Whether a person with a well-known identical name exists<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Whether the ordinance requirements are satisfied<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Depending on these factors, the application may proceed, require consent, or be refused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        Practical Implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Reduces the burden of obtaining consent from all individuals with the same name<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Facilitates branding strategies using personal names<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Maintains protection of personality rights through:\n
            \n
          • Fame-based filtering<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Anti-abuse requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            \n\n\n\n

            Additional Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • The revised rules apply equally to foreign names<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Consent alone does not automatically satisfy all requirements, particularly the \u201creasonable relationship\u201d condition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Prior users may continue using their marks under certain conditions (continuous use rights).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              \n\n\n\n

              Source<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • Japan Patent Office (JPO), \u201cRelaxation of Requirements for Trademarks Containing Another Person\u2019s Name\u201d<\/em> (updated October 1, 2025)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                The cases presented here are based on publicly available JPO decisions and are provided for informational purposes only.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Overview Japan has relaxed the requirements for registering trademarks that include another person\u2019s name unde … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-101","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-trademark-topics","7":"entry","8":"nothumb"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=101"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":161,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101\/revisions\/161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}