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Shueisha Fails Appeal For Tanjirō, Nezuko, Zenitsu Pattern Trademarks

Huffington Post Japan reported on Friday that Shueisha failed its appeal to trademark the clothing patterns for the following Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba characters: Tanjirō Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, and Zenitsu Agatsuma. The trademark was denied on May 26; Shueisha submitted an appeal on July 6, which was formally rejected on September 17.

Tanjirō Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, and Zenitsu Agatsuma patterns

Regarding Tanjirō's pattern, the Japan Patent Office noted that the checkmark pattern was ubiquitous, and that its appearance in Demon Slayer does not transcend the regular usage of as a decorative pattern for clothing. Shueisha argued that Tanjirō's pattern is distinct because it includes rectangles as well as squares, and because it is enclosed in a black border. While the JPO noted that the black lines could be seen, the lack of blank space past the border made it difficult to discern at a glance. Therefore, the design lacks significantly distinguishing traits from the historical usages of the checkmark pattern.

Shueisha has three months to file a second appeal.

In June, the publisher successfully trademarked the clothing patterns for Giyū Tomioka, Shinobu Kocho, and Kyōjurō Rengoku. The trademark applies to a diverse range of commodities such as smartphone covers, video game software, clothing, and towels. Shueisha told Huffington Post Japan that the intent behind filing the trademark was to restrict the distribution of merchandise to legitimate sources and crack down on the proliferation of low-quality knock-off goods and illegal copies.

According to patent information platform J-PlatPat, Shueisha applied for the six design trademarks on June 24, 2020.

Source: Huffington Post Japan