The Japan Patent Office has received more than 470 applications under a revised system that allows sounds, colors and other nontraditional items to be registered as trademarks, officials said.
The revised Trademark Law took effect Wednesday as advertising methods continue to diversify, especially on the Internet, to include the use of logos accompanied by sound effects and motion graphics. In addition to letters, shapes, 3-D objects, motions, holograms, colors and sounds are among the new items being accepted under the revised trademark system.
The move is aimed at better protecting intellectual property and supporting corporate branding strategies, an official at the office said Saturday.
By category, about 190 of the applications were for color trademarks, 140 for sounds and 30 for motion. Most were submitted Wednesday.
For example, Seven-Eleven Japan Co. submitted an application to trademark the orange, green and red color combination used in its logo and on its convenience store exteriors. Other companies applied to trademark their TV commercial jingles.
Trademarks make it easier for companies to request the same trademarks in other countries.
Nontraditional trademarks are already protected in countries like the United States and Australia. Jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co. had the blue color of its iconic boxes registered as a trademark in the United States.