{"id":148,"date":"2026-03-22T13:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T04:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/?p=148"},"modified":"2026-03-23T00:05:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T15:05:20","slug":"jpo-appeal-case-study-eco-partner-distinctiveness-refusal-maintained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/?p=148","title":{"rendered":"JPO Appeal Case Study: \u201cECO PARTNER\u201d \u2013 Distinctiveness Refusal Maintained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This case illustrates how the Japan Patent Office (JPO) evaluates trademarks under <strong>Article 3(1)(vi)<\/strong>, particularly where a term is widely used in a promotional or conceptual manner across industries.<br>It demonstrates that even if a term is used by multiple entities, it may still be refused if it functions merely as a slogan or concept rather than a source identifier.<\/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> ECO PARTNER<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Application No.:<\/strong> Japanese Trademark Application <strong>No. 2023-65111<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Designated Goods\/Services:<\/strong> A wide range of goods and services across <strong>Classes 6, 7, 9, 11, 19, and 35<\/strong>, including construction materials, machinery, refrigeration equipment, and retail services.<\/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 3(1)(vi)<\/strong> of the Japanese Trademark Act (lack of distinctiveness).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The examiner reasoned that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cECO\u201d means <strong>environmental or ecological<\/strong>, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cPARTNER\u201d means <strong>partner or collaborator<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In the relevant industries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the term <strong>\u201cECO PARTNER\u201d<\/strong> is commonly used to refer to \u201ca business entity cooperating in environmental protection activities\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on this, the examiner concluded that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the mark would be perceived merely as a <strong>description of business concept or role<\/strong>, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>it does not function as a <strong>source identifier<\/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-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>2024-11703<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The appeal argued that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the term is used by various entities as names or service identifiers, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>it should therefore be recognized as a trademark.<\/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-3\">4. Decision of the Appeal Board<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The JPO Appeal Board <strong>upheld 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>\u201cECO\u201d and \u201cPARTNER\u201d are both <strong>commonly understood English words<\/strong>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and their combination naturally conveys the meaning of \u201ca partner involved in environmental protection activities.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Board further emphasized that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the term <strong>\u201cECO PARTNER\u201d<\/strong> is widely used by municipalities, companies, and organizations to describe entities participating in environmental initiatives,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and is frequently used in <strong>advertising, certifications, and corporate philosophies<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>consumers would perceive the mark as a <strong>promotional or conceptual expression<\/strong>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>rather than as an indication of the commercial source of goods or services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Board rejected the applicant\u2019s argument that widespread use supports distinctiveness, stating that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>such use actually reinforces the conclusion that the term lacks distinctiveness.<\/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-4\">5. Outcome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Board concluded that the mark lacks distinctiveness under Article 3(1)(vi), and the refusal was <strong>maintained<\/strong>.<br>The application was <strong>not registrable<\/strong>.<\/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 aspect of Japanese trademark practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Widespread use can weaken distinctiveness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a term is widely used across industries, it may be seen as a <strong>common expression rather than a trademark<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Slogans and concepts are often unregistrable<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Expressions that convey <strong>corporate philosophy, environmental commitment, or promotional messages<\/strong> may lack distinctiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Evidence of use must show source-identifying function<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use as a slogan or certification label does not establish trademark distinctiveness.<\/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, a trademark may be refused if it is perceived as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a <strong>general concept or promotional phrase<\/strong>, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>widely used across industries without functioning as a <strong>source identifier<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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 trademarks under Article 3(1)(vi), particula &#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-148","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-unsuccessful-cases-in-japan","7":"entry","8":"nothumb"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148","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=148"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":165,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148\/revisions\/165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.madrid-system.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}