Japan to Make Trademark Registration of Era Names Impossible

November 5, 2018

Tokyo--The Japanese government plans to make it impossible to register any era names as a trademark, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday.

The government will revise its trademark application screening criteria, which only reject the registration of the current era name at present.

The government hopes to make sure that no one can register the current name of Heisei after the planned era name change in May next year, or the new name if it is announced beforehand.

"We are considering amending our examination guidelines for trademarks around February next year to ensure that no era names, including those of the past, can be registered as a trademark," Suga told a press conference.

The government is expected to discuss the scope of exceptions, such as company names including era names. Jiji Press