{"id":114,"date":"2026-03-21T19:23:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T10:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/?p=114"},"modified":"2026-03-23T00:07:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T15:07:40","slug":"jpo-appeal-case-study-pal-vs-composite-pal-device-mark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/?p=114","title":{"rendered":"JPO Appeal Case Study: \u201cPAL\u201d vs. Composite \u201cPal\u201d Device Mark\u2013 Similarity Refusal Overturned"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This case illustrates how the Japan Patent Office (JPO) evaluates similarity when a cited mark contains both word and device elements.<br>It demonstrates that similarity cannot be established by isolating a single word element unless it clearly dominates the overall impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"i-0\">1. Application Details<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mark:<\/strong> PAL<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Application No.:<\/strong> Japanese Trademark Application <strong>No. 2024-37735<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Designated Goods:<\/strong> Metal materials for construction in <strong>Class 6<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"i-1\">2. Refusal by the JPO Examiner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The application was refused under <strong>Article 4(1)(xi)<\/strong> of the Japanese Trademark Act (likelihood of confusion with a prior registered trademark).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The examiner cited the following earlier trademark:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cited Mark:<\/strong> Composite mark consisting of\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a device element (including stylized graphics and Japanese wording \u201c\u3071\u308b\u3061\u3083\u3093\u201d), and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the word <strong>\u201cPal\u201d<\/strong> in colored letters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Registration No.:<\/strong> <strong>6810793<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Designated Services:<\/strong> Retail and wholesale services relating to building materials, and related services in <strong>Classes 35 and 42<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"506\" height=\"231\" src=\"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\u767b\u93326810793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119\" style=\"width:223px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\u767b\u93326810793.jpg 506w, https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/\u767b\u93326810793-300x137.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 506px) 100vw, 506px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The examiner reasoned that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the element <strong>\u201cPal\u201d<\/strong> could be extracted as the dominant portion of the cited mark, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>this element is identical to the applied mark <strong>\u201cPAL.\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on this reasoning, the examiner concluded that the marks were <strong>similar<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"i-2\">3. Appeal to the JPO Trial and Appeal Board<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An appeal was filed against the refusal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Appeal No.:<\/strong> <strong>2025-5242<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The appeal challenged the examiner\u2019s approach of isolating the word element from the composite cited mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"i-3\">4. Decision of the Appeal Board<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The JPO Appeal Board <strong>reversed the refusal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Board found that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The cited mark consists of <strong>both device and word elements<\/strong>, arranged in a visually integrated manner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The device element and wording are <strong>closely arranged and balanced<\/strong>, creating a unified overall impression.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Board further noted that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The mark can be pronounced smoothly as a single expression.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There were <strong>no circumstances indicating that the word \u201cPal\u201d alone dominates the overall impression<\/strong> of the cited mark.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Accordingly, the Board concluded that the cited mark must be evaluated <strong>as a whole<\/strong>, and that isolating \u201cPal\u201d is inappropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"i-4\">5. Outcome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because the cited mark is a <strong>unitary composite mark<\/strong>, the Board rejected the examiner\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, the marks <strong>\u201cPAL\u201d<\/strong> and the cited composite mark were found <strong>not similar<\/strong>, and the refusal was cancelled.<br>The application was allowed to proceed toward registration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"i-5\">Key Point for Foreign Applicants<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>This case highlights an important principle in Japanese trademark practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Composite marks are evaluated as a whole<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if a mark contains a recognizable word element, it will not automatically be isolated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Dominant element must be clearly established<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A word element is considered dominant only where there are <strong>clear supporting circumstances<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Visual integration matters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Device elements and layout can reinforce the perception of a mark as a <strong>single unified expression<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705 <strong>Practical takeaway<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Japan, similarity cannot be established merely because two marks share the same word if the cited mark is perceived as a <strong>visually integrated composite mark<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-sgb-sen\">\n\n\n\n<p>The cases presented here are based on publicly available JPO decisions and are provided for informational purposes only.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This case illustrates how the Japan Patent Office (JPO) evaluates similarity when a cited mark contains both w &#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-114","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-successful-cases-in-japan","7":"entry","8":"nothumb"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114","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=114"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114\/revisions\/169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}