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    Lawsuit at the IP High Court on rescission case of JPO trial decision regarding trademarks of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ("SIDAMO" and "YIRGACHEFFE") - IPHC judgment of March 29, 2010

The Intellectual Property High Court ("IPHC") cancelled the trial decision of the Japan Patent Office ("JPO") which had invalidated "SIDAMO" (written in alphabet and in katakana characters) and "YIRGACHEFFE" (written in alphabet and in katakana characters), registered trademarks of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The IPHC ruled that "SIDAMO" and "YIRGACHEFFE" for coffee or coffee beans are not merely geographical names indicating origin but rather are recognized as brand names or types of high-quality coffee beans from Ethiopia by traders and consumers and thus the marks are distinctive. The IPHC cancelled a part of the trial decision of the JPO, rendered on March 31, 2009, for the designated goods "coffee and coffee beans" (Class 30) under invalidation trial cases, with respect to "coffee beans produced in the Sidamo (or Yirgacheffe) area in Ethiopia and coffee made from coffee beans produced in the Sidamo (or Yirgacheffe) area in Ethiopia."

Eiichi Fukushima, Mitsuru Shishido, Naoko Omukai, and Kaedeko Takagi, Attorneys and Miwako Kumagai, Patent Attorney represented the trademark owner, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, at the IPHC in seeking the cancellation of the JPO's trial decision.

(N&A team members were engaged in these cases to obtain trademarks for Ethiopia in collaboration with Arnold & Porter LLP as international pro bono activities in furtherance of a project to protect Ethiopia's valuable intellectual property assets through registration of trademarks and to alleviate poverty among Ethiopian coffee producers and sector workers.)

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大向 尚子

She has a strong track record of representing domestic and overseas clients before the Courts and Patent Offices in Patent, Trademark and other IP disputes and proceedings, including a case that resulted in the first Grand Panel Decision of the IP High Court in Japan. In addition, she has been involved in IP transactions for business development, including license franchising, and corporate projects with Brand & IP strategies. She has been a committee member of the Industrial Structure Council of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, a member of the special consulting committee for the Minister of METI, and a director of the Japan Trademark Association. In addition, she oversees many lecturers at IP seminars sponsored by bar associations, patent attorney associations, the Japan Intellectual Property Association, etc.