The producer of the world well-known whisky GLENFIDDICH William Grant & Sons won a trademark dispute in Japan.
The German company Badischer Winzerkeller AG filed an international trademark application (Japan was a designated country) for the following combined mark in class 33 – Wines and sparkling wines; all the above goods made in Germany:
The way how the mark is used:
Against this application an opposition was filed by William Grant & Sons based on earlier mark for GLENFIDDICH in class 33 – whiskey:
The way how the mark is used:
The Japan Patent Office upheld the opposition in its entirety. Although the word parts of the signs were different, the graphic representation of a stylized stag was almost identical. Because of that, according to the Office, consumers can confuse the origin of the goods in question. Of course, one of the reasons for this conclusion was the fact that GLENFIDDICH stag was one of the most famous whisky trademark logo in the world.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PLANET 