Jimmy Choo’s Trademark Triumph: A Landmark Case in Japan

You already know about the high and recognisable position the Jimmy Choo brand holds on the market 👠, it is famous for all its handmade shoes 👞 and also for its bold style and masterful craftsmanship 🎨.

In order to protect the market position, the Jimmy Choo brand has been involved in numerous intellectual property disputes over the years ⚖️, in particular concerning trademarks protection.

Any examples?

Of course! One such dispute is the proceedings that took place between Jimmy Choo and PPB Studios Corporation Limited, i.e. a Korean fashion and beauty e-commerce company 💼 before the Japan Patent Office 🇯🇵.

This company attempted to register the trademark ‘chuu’ for clothing in class 25 and retail services for contact lenses, clothing, footwear, and bags in class 35 🛍️, but this was met with opposition from Jimmy Choo, claiming a risk of confusion with its trademark “CHOO”.

How did this case end?

The Japan Patent Office found that the compared marks were dissimilar, mainly in visual aspect 👀, and would not cause confusion as to the origin of the goods or services, which determined the validity of the challenged mark in Japan 🎌.