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JAPAN - Retail and Wholesale Services

Retailers or wholesalers provide a wide variety of services such as bringing together a variety of goods, providing explanations to customers, and arranging goods to enable customers to view the goods conveniently. The Japan Patent Office (JPO) regards these services as a whole as retail services or wholesale services. 

The trademark system for retail services or wholesale services was introduced on April 1st, 2007, and a mark that is used for retail services or wholesale services can be now registered as a service mark.

The main points for filing an application regarding retail services or wholesale services

Designating services: If retail services or wholesale services deal in a variety of goods in each field of clothing, food and beverages, and living ware, and these goods are carried in a single business establishment (e.g. Retail services provided by a department store), the service should be designated as 「衣料品・飲食料品及び生活用品に係る各種商品を一括して取り扱う小売又は卸売の業務において行わ
れる顧客に対する便益の提供」“Retail services or wholesale services for a
variety of goods in each field of clothing, foods and beverages, and living ware, carrying all goods together.”

For example, “retail services or wholesale services for all goods”, “retail services or wholesale services for a variety of goods in each field of clothing and foods” will not be accepted as a designated service.

If retail services or wholesale services deal in specific goods (e.g. Retail services for foods and beverages, retail services for clothing), the goods should be specified. Examples of services are shown below.

The followings examples cannot be accepted as a designated service:
リテーリングRetailing (Goods are not specified)
小売店サービスRetail store services (Goods are not specified)
小売サービスRetail services (Goods are not specified)
卸売サービスWholesale services (Goods are not specified)
百貨店サービスDepartment store services (Goods are not specified)
販売サービスSale services (Goods are not specified)

Services should be designated in the Japanese language. With regard to applications under the Madrid Protocol, services should be designated in English.

“The bringing together, for the benefit of others, of a variety of goods (excluding the transport thereof), enabling customers to conveniently view and purchase those goods” 「他人の便宜のために各種商品を揃え（運搬を除く）、顧客がこれらの商品を見、かつ、購入するために便宜を図ること。」 is treated as shown below.

Under the revised Trademark Act, it is not clear whether “the bringing together, for the benefit of others, of a variety of goods (excluding the transport thereof), enabling customers to conveniently view and purchase those goods”「他人の便宜の ために各種商品を揃え（運搬を除く）、顧客がこれらの商品を見、かつ、購 入するために便宜を図ること。」specifies services for business support or retail services or wholesale services. The examiner therefore will confirm the applicant’s intention by issuing to the applicant a notification for reasons of refusal under Article 6 of the Trademark Act.
Where, as a result of confirmation, the above designation identifies services for business support, the examiner will suggest that the applicant amend the indication by adding, for example, “(other than retail services and/or wholesale services).”「（小売又は卸売りの業務において行われる場合を除く。）」. If retail services or wholesale services are being designated, the examiner will suggest that the applicant amend the indication to “Retail services and/or wholesale services for [indicate goods].” 「○○○の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供」

Examples of designations for retail services or wholesale services

織物及び寝具類の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for woven fabrics and beddings

被服の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for clothing

履物の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for footwear

かばん類及び袋物の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for bags and pouches

身の回り品の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for personal articles

飲食料品の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for foods and beverages

酒類の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for liquor

食肉の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for meat

食用水産物の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for sea food

野菜及び果実の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for vegetables and fruits

菓子及びパンの小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for confectionery, bread and buns

米穀類の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for rice and cereals

牛乳の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for milk

清涼飲料及び果実飲料の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提

供

Retail services or wholesale services for carbonated drinks [refreshing beverages] and non-alcoholic fruit juice beverages

茶・コーヒー及びココアの小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for tea, coffee and cocoa

加工食料品の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for processed food

自動車の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for automobiles

二輪自動車の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for two-wheeled motor vehicles

自転車の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for bicycles

家具の小売又は卸売の業務において行われ る顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for furniture

建具の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for joinery fittings

畳類の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for tatami mats

葬祭用具の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for ritual equipment

電気機械器具類の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for electrical machinery and apparatuses

手動利器・手動工具及び金具の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便

益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for bladed or pointed hand tools, hand tools, hardware

台所用品・清掃用具及び洗濯用具の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for kitchen equipment, cleaning tools and washing utensils

薬剤及び医療補助品の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for pharmaceutical, veterinary and sanitary preparations and medical supplies

化粧品・歯磨き及びせっけん類の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する

便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for cosmetics, toiletries, dentifrices, soaps and detergents

農耕用品の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for agricultural machines, implements and supplies

花及び木の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for flowers [natural] and trees

燃料の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for fuel

印刷物の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for printed matter

紙類及び文房具類の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for paper and stationery

運動具の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for sports goods

おもちゃ・人形及び娯楽用具の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便

益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for toys, dolls, game machines and apparatus

楽器及びレコードの小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for musical instruments and records

写真機械器具及び写真材料の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益

の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for photographic machines and apparatus and photographic supplies

時計及び眼鏡の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for clocks, watches and spectacles [eyeglasses and goggles]

たばこ及び喫煙用具の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for tobaccos and smokers' articles

建築材料の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for building materials

宝玉及びその模造品の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for unwrought and semi-wrought precious stones and their imitations

愛玩動物の小売又は卸売の業務において行われる顧客に対する便益の提供

Retail services or wholesale services for pet animals