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The basic concepts (including interpretation and operation) of the application of the Trademark Act in the performance of practical duties in trademark examination are summarized in the Trademark Examination Guidelines, which are classified as general guidelines for trademark examination and are broadly used in order to deepen trademark applicants' and their representatives' understanding of the practical duties performed at the JPO.

The current Trademark Examination Guidelines have been partially revised many times since the first version of the Guidelines was issued in 1971, in order to respond to revisions of laws, societal changes, and changes in the needs of users. However, extensive overall reviews and revisions of the Guidelines had not been made. In recent years, users have been requesting that the Guidelines be made clearer and more understandable, and the environment surrounding commercial transactions has been changing substantially. Therefore, an overall review and revision of the Guidelines has been deemed important, and the JPO is making efforts for such reviews and revisions under a two-year plan for FY2015 and FY2016. After that, the JPO has revised the Guidelines to make it more clear and useful for users in FY 2018 and FY 2019.

The following Examination Guidelines are effective on April 1, 2020.

Flow-Chart Concerning Trademarks-Related Procedures (PDF:41KB)

Examination Guidelines for Trademark (download all) (PDF:3,440KB)

Contents

Table of contents (PDF:12KB)

Part I: Article 3(1) (Requirements for trademark registration)

• Chapter 1: Overall Article 3(1) (PDF:102KB)
• Chapter 2: Main Paragraph of Article 3(1) (PDF:1,055KB)
• Chapter 3: Article 3(1)(i) (Common name of goods or services) (PDF:106KB)
• Chapter 4: Article 3(1)(ii) (Trademarks customarily used) (PDF:103KB)
• Chapter 5: Article 3(1)(iii) (Indication of origin, place of sale, quality and other characteristics of the goods, or indication of location, quality and other characteristics of provision of the services) (PDF:111KB)
• Chapter 6: Article 3(1)(iv) (Common surname or name of a juridical person) (PDF:87KB)
• Chapter 7: Article 3(1)(v) (Very simple and common marks) (PDF:105KB)
• Chapter 8: Article 3(1)(vi) (Trademarks lacking distinctiveness in addition to those mentioned in each of the preceding items) (PDF:111KB)

Part II: Article 3(2) (Distinctiveness acquired through use) (PDF:147KB)

Part III: Article 4(1) and (3) (Unregistrable trademarks)

• Chapter 1: Overall Article 4(1) (PDF:46KB)
• Chapter 2: Article 4(1)(i) (National flag and imperial chrysanthemum crest) (PDF:270KB)
• Chapter 3: Article 4(1)(ii), (iii) and (v) (State coat of arms and other emblems) (PDF:200KB)
• Chapter 4: Article 4(1)(iv) (Mark or title of the red cross) (PDF:77KB)
• Chapter 5: Article 4(1)(vi) (Famous mark indicating a state or a local public entity) (PDF:96KB)
• Chapter 6: Article 4(1)(vii) (Contravention of public order or morality) (PDF:88KB)
• Chapter 7: Article 4(1)(viii) (Name of another person) (PDF:41KB)
• Chapter 8: Article 4(1)(ix) (Prize awarded at an exhibition) (PDF:44KB)
• Chapter 9: Article 4(1)(x) (Well-known trademark of another person) (PDF:42KB)
• Chapter 10: Article 4(1)(xi) (Another person’s registered trademark applied for prior to the filing date of the trademark application concerned) (PDF:823KB)
• Chapter 11: Article 4(1)(xii) (Registered defensive mark of another person) (PDF:36KB)
• Chapter 12: Article 4(1)(xiv) (Name of a variety registered under the plant variety protection and seed act) (PDF:41KB)
• Chapter 13: Article 4(1)(xv) (Confusion over the source of goods and services) (PDF:101KB)
• Chapter 14: Article 4(1)(xvi) (Misleading as to the quality of the goods or services) (PDF:171KB)
• Chapter 15: Article 4(1)(xvii) (Indication of origin of wines or spirits) (PDF:50KB)
• Chapter 16: Article 4(1)(xviii) (Characeristics which goods, etc. must naturally have) (PDF:42KB)
• Chapter 17: Article 4(1)(xix) (Trademark identical with or similar to another person’s well-known trademark which is used by the applicant for an unfair intention) (PDF:45KB)
• Chapter 18: Article 4(3) (Time of judgment concerning each item of Article 4(1)) (PDF:42KB)

Part IV: Article 5 (Applications for trademark registration) (PDF:587KB)

Part V: Article 6 (Single trademark on each application) (PDF:44KB)

Part VI: Article 7 (Collective trademarks) (PDF:40KB)

Part VII: Article 7-2 (Regionally collective trademarks)

• Chapter 1: Main Paragraph of Article 7-2 (1) (PDF:100KB)
• Chapter 2: Article 7-2(1)(i),(ii) and(iii) (Registerable trademark) (PDF:142KB)
• Chapter 3: Article 7-2(2), (3) and (4) (Name of region) (PDF:44KB)

Part VIII: Article 8 (Prior application) (PDF:43KB)

Part IX: Article 9 (Special provisions at the time of filing of application) (PDF:42KB)

Part X: Article 10 (Division of application for trademark registration) (PDF:66KB)

Part XI: Article 15-2 and 15-3 (Notice of reasons for refusal) (PDF:40KB)

Part XII: Article 16 (Examiner’s decision that a trademark is to be registered) (PDF:43KB)

Part XIII: Article 16-2 and 17-2 (Dismissal of amendment) (PDF:133KB)

Part XIV: Article 64 (Requirements for defensive mark registration) (PDF:45KB)

Part XV: Article 65-2, 3, and 4 (Duration of right based on defensive mark registration) (PDF:164KB)

Part XVI: Article 68 -9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, and 28 (Special provisions relating to application for international registration) (PDF:93KB)

Part XVII: Articles 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12 and 24 of Supplementary Provisions (Reclassification) (PDF:67KB)

Part XVIII: Others (PDF:84KB)

[Last updated 2 September 2020]

Contact Us

Trademark Examination Standards Office, Trademark Division Japan Patent office E-mail:PA1T00@icarna.net