An article entitled “Russia FAS’s decision concerning the 3D design of soy sauce bottle produced by Kikkoman” by Mr. Haruo Goto, Mr. Kazutaka Otsuka and Mr. Ryota Hara of our firm (with Kikkoman Corporation) was published in February 2019 issue of the Monthly Journal A.I.P.P.I (Vol. 64 No. 2)

Feb 27, 2019

An article entitled “Russia FAS’s decision concerning the 3D design of soy sauce bottle produced by Kikkoman” by Mr. Haruo Goto, Mr. Kazutaka Otsuka and Mr. Ryota Hara of our firm (with Kikkoman Corporation) was published in February 2019 issue of the Monthly Journal A.I.P.P.I (Vol. 64 No. 2).

The article reports the developments of the 3D design of soy sauce bottle produced by Kikkoman in Russia.Kikkoman filed 3D mark application of the soy sauce bottle in Russia and ROSPATENT rejected the application. So, as an alternative, Kikkoman filed a complaint with the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service [FAS] to ban a Russian company from distributing soy sauce products, since the design of their soy sauce bottles was confusingly similar to that of Kikkoman’s iconic 150-ml soy sauce bottle. The FAS found that the Russian company was liable for violation of the law on protection of competition and ordered the company to stop marketing its products. By virtue of the FAS’s acknowledgment of the distinctiveness and famousness of the Kikkoman’s soy sauce bottle, ROSPATENT also acknowledge these factors then ROSPATENT granted the Kikkoman’s second application of the 3D mark application of the soy sauce bottle successfully.

AIPPI website: https://www.aippi.or.jp/english/