Volkswagen is one of the major importers of cars into Japan, a country famous for export of cars. Little wonder, then that it was sensitive about trade mark applications which it believes are too close to its famous sub-brand, “POLO”. Volkswagen’s strategy in Japan is implied in this passage from its website https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/news/stories/2019/03/volkswagen-group-japanese-passenger-car-market-status.html : This… Continue reading Volkswagen’s POLO woes in Japan (2019 and 2022)
Category: Model sub-brands
Volkswagen AG v Tungpei Industrial Co – an acronym dispute in Australia in 2020
In 2020 the Australian trade mark registrar delivered a decision involving German marque Volkswagen and a business named Tungpei Industrial Co, based in Taiwan. The marks in dispute were “TSI”, applied for by the applicant, and “TSI” and “TDI” – plainly, similar enough to prima facie support an opposition. However, in this instance, the mark… Continue reading Volkswagen AG v Tungpei Industrial Co – an acronym dispute in Australia in 2020
General Motors – Australian trade mark opposition disputes over the GMSV and HSV brands
This post looks at two disputes before the Australian trade marks registrar involving motor vehicle sub-brands: the relatively recent decision in General Motors LLC v Laser Cleaning Machines Australia Pty Ltd [2022] ATMO 94 (14 June 2022) (the GMSV decision), and a decision which is almost 20 years old, General Motors Corporation v Anthony Nicholls [2003] ATMO… Continue reading General Motors – Australian trade mark opposition disputes over the GMSV and HSV brands
Registering model numbers in Australia: revisiting Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha [2001] ATMO 50 (14 June 2001)
Vehicle manufacturers of all stripes very often use model numbers as sub-brands. These are important ways of communicating to members of the public about the nature of a particular model or style of vehicle. But sometimes these model numbers serve as more than just a badge of origin. They can also give informed consumers, or… Continue reading Registering model numbers in Australia: revisiting Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha [2001] ATMO 50 (14 June 2001)