International Activities
The Expanded Trademark Trilateral User Meeting
On December 6, 2011, a user meeting of the Expanded Trademark Trilateral (Japan, U.S, Europe, and South Korea) was held at the USPTO headquarters. This is the second meeting following the user meeting that was held in Japan for the first time to cover trademark-related issues based on the resolution made at the eighth Trademark Trilateral Meeting in 2009. The purpose of this meeting is to facilitate exchange of information and candid opinions between users and trademark authorities, promote a user-friendly environment and harmonization, and improve the trademark systems and practices. In addition to the abovementioned four IP Offices, delegates from China (as observers) and WIPO were invited to attend the meeting.
The participants in the meeting include representatives from the JPO, USPTO, OHIM, KIPO, SAIC, and WIPO, and from user organizations comprising three organizations from Japan, i.e., JPAA, JTA, and JIPA, five organizations from the U.S., i.e., IPO, ABA, AIPLA, INTA, and TPAC, two organizations from Europe, i.e., AIM and APRAM, and one organization from South Korea, i.e., KPAA. From JIPA, a total of four persons attended the meeting, i.e., Managing Director Mr. YAGYU, Mr. KOKUMAI Chairman of the Trademark Committee, Ms. OKANO Vice-Chairman, and Mr. MATSUDAIRA (author).
At the meeting, each user organization was given five minutes to make proposals. JIPA had carefully determined the priority of the proposals prepared in advance and proposed the “concerted management of designated goods (services) and designated class,” which would require cooperation of the trilateral IP Offices. Especially in the case of the emergence of a new product that does not fall under any of the conventional categories, JIPO considers it important for the trilateral IP Offices to determine the designated goods, designated class, etc., only after discussions among the trilateral IP Offices and WIPO, instead of letting each IP Office make its own decision. JIPA proposed the establishment of a scheme for such collaborative decision-making process.
In the meeting, the Offices were able to share the issues faced by users such as the issue of the unique method adopted by the U.S. for stating the designated goods and the issue of language, which is faced by Japan and some other countries.
Users other than JIPA also presented many questions and requests pertaining to such issues as “the implementation of the subclasses system for designated goods” “the creation of a system of consent,” and “the registrability of trademarks consisting of two letters.”
