Regarding issues involving the English name of Osaka Koritsu [Public] University (OU submits evidence supporting its allegation to the Japan Patent Office)

University Public Corporation Osaka filed for trademark registration of “University of Osaka” on June 18, 2020.

However, Osaka University believes that this trademark registration should not be approved because “University of Osaka” has already established itself as a name to refer to Osaka University, making “University of Osaka” essentially synonymous with “Osaka University.”

Thus, on August 21, 2020, Osaka University submitted documents as evidence to support the trademark invalidation to the Japan Patent Office via its Third-Party Observation System , which was established to ensure fair and proper examinations.

Osaka University submitted the following documents from inside and outside of Japan (some 1,500 examples, including those to be submitted in the future):

(i) Papers and lecture proceedings that use “University of Osaka” as a name to refer to Osaka University -- some 960 examples

(ii) Academic documents in English (such as university websites) that use “University of Osaka” as a name to refer to Osaka University -- some 340 examples

(iii) Lecture proceedings and academic text in English in which both “University of Osaka” and “Osaka University” are used as a name to refer to Osaka University -- some 170 examples

(iv) Materials which show that toponyms (place names) generally are identical regardless of whether a generic name (i.e., a university) precedes or follows a specific name (i.e., a municipality) – some 40 examples

(v) A public relations article on the website of a foreign embassy in Japan in which “University of Osaka” is used as a name to refer to Osaka University

(vi) An English language guidebook made by Osaka Prefecture in which “University of Osaka” is used as a name to refer to Osaka University

From the evidence listed above, it is clear that

(1) the name “University of Osaka” is well-known to refer to Osaka University, and

(2) both “University of Osaka” and “Osaka University” are closely associated with Osaka University among students and researchers both in Japan and overseas.

Since the materials listed above constitute evidence that confusion will be caused by the use of “University of Osaka” as the English name of Osaka Koritsu University, Osaka University believes that trademark registration by Osaka Koritsu University should not be approved.

August 21, 2020

Osaka University

Friday, June 26, 2020
Regarding the English name of Osaka Koritsu [Public] University

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