Tendency of JPO's Examination Practice of New-Type Trademarks in First Two Years following 2015 Trademark Law Revision

Abstract
Almost two years have passed since the Japan Patent Office (JPO) began examination practice based on the revised Japan Trademark Law in April 2015, which opened the way for registration of certain types of non-traditional trademarks (color per se marks, sound marks, motion marks, hologram marks, and position marks; hereinafter “new-type trademarks”). This article summarizes the trends of the JPO’s examination practice of such new-type trademarks thus far, and highlights a few specific examples which were successfully granted and registered by the JPO.