The Intellectual Property High Court in Tokyo has ruled that Sharp Corp., which markets display panel technology for smartphones and other devices under the Igzo brand name, does not have exclusive rights to the term.
Sharp had sought the withdrawal of an earlier decision by the Japan Patent Office that nullified the company's right to exclusive use of the acronym, which stands for indium gallium zinc oxide, a compound semiconductor.
But the presiding judge, Ryuichi Shitara, rejected Sharp's claim, saying that the abbreviation IGZO is widely recognized to refer to the compound, which is used in the displays.