JYP Entertainment successfully defended their character brand 'SKZOO' affiliated with the group Stray Kids. When the trademark application for 'SKZOO' was rejected by the patent office due to its similarity to 'SK Corporation,' JYP sued the patent office, and the court ruled in favor of JYP stating that there was no confusion.
SKZOO features animal characters representing the members of Stray Kids, which includes merchandise like dolls, figurines, and Kakao emoticons. JYP applied for the trademark of SKZOO in March 2022, but faced obstacles from the patent office.
In August 2022, the patent office rejected the registration of the SKZOO trademark, citing its similarity to the registered trademarks of SK Corporation. The rejected product categories included jewelry (category 14), stickers and photos (category 16), footwear and clothing (category 25), and concert lights and character dolls (category 28).
The main issue revolved around the concern of whether SKZOO, split into SK and ZOO, could potentially be confused with 'SK Corporation.' Despite JYP's appeal, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board dismissed it, stating that there was a high possibility of confusion as SKZOO easily evoked the well-known brand SK and could lead to misconceptions due to a perceived association.
JYP appealed to the Patent Court, arguing that SKZOO was a unique combination of 'SKZ' as an abbreviation for Stray Kids and 'ZOO' representing a zoo, creating a brand with distinct concepts and images. Eventually, the court accepted JYP's argument, ruling in November 2024 that there were clear differences in appearance, pronunciation, concepts, and overall impression between the two trademarks, thus rejecting the patent office's decision and allowing the registration of the SKZOO trademark.
Following this legal victory, JYP can now proceed with global content business activities using SKZOO. Stray Kids made history by achieving six consecutive number one albums on the Billboard 200 chart in December last year, establishing themselves as the first artist to achieve this feat.
Legal experts emphasized the importance of the pre-application trademark's 'recognition factor' in this ruling, indicating that using differentiated names prior to trademark application could enhance the chances of successful registration in the future.
In conclusion, JYP's successful defense of the SKZOO trademark opens up opportunities for them to further develop their global content business utilizing this brand.