By Toko Sekiguchi ( June 22, 2026, 08:54 GMT | Insight) -- Japan’s Intellectual Property High Court upheld a refusal by the Japan Patent Office to register the shape of a baby fork as a 3D trademark, finding that consumers would see the design as functional rather than as a sign that the fork came from one company.Japan’s Intellectual Property High Court upheld a refusal by the Japan Patent Office, or JPO, to register the shape of a baby fork as a three-dimensional trademark, finding that consumers would see its thick handle, narrowed grip and grooved fork head as functional product features rather than signs that the fork came from one company....
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