Decision on Trade Mark Law: “Converse II”

Abstract

The Intellectual Property High Court rendered a decision on 27 April 2010 that deals with trade marks of the well known US producer of casual clothing and footwear “Converse”. The Court stated that the importation of goods to Japan bearing a trade mark identical to a Japanese trade mark is unlawful unless the domestic and foreign trade mark owners qualify as one legal or economic entity, or the Japanese trade mark owner has supervised the quality of the goods imported to Japan. An appeal is pending before the Supreme Court.

(The Editors)