On 7 April, the Japanese Patent Office registered a trademark for the first time under the new consent system launched last April. This system makes it possible to register a trademark that is identical or similar to one that has already been registered, subject to the consent of the owner of the earlier trademark concerned.
Both marks were composed of the same Japanese characters “玻璃” and their pronunciation is identical despite their different appearance.
The goods and services in question are similar. The proprietor of the earlier trademark agreed to consent to the registration of the later trademark, which was then registered.
Thanks to this system, companies will have a wider range of options when it comes to branding.
