Japan’s Meiji to Boost IP Protection After Popular Snack Copied; Fake Earphones Based on Long-Selling Kinoko no Yama

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:31 JST, September 25, 2024

Meiji Co. is planning to heighten protection of its intellectual property, in response to the sale of copycat products based on its Kinoko no Yama snack, which resembles a chocolate covered mushroom.

Meiji will take steps to prevent the production, sale and import of copycat items, the company announced Tuesday.

In March, Meiji released a set of wireless earphones resembling the Kinoko no Yama snack, which quickly sold out. The earphones generated significant buzz even before their release, which led to sales of copycat products through online shopping malls based in Japan and elsewhere.

The fake products were made in China, and Meiji appealed to customs authorities to block their import, based on the company’s trademark rights. Its appeal was accepted in June.

Meiji also claimed its rights had been violated by a confectionery maker in Saitama Prefecture, which manufactured and sold a look-alike product of Kinoko no Yama called “Choco Kinoko.” Meiji reportedly secured an agreement with the confectioner in March to stop making and selling the copycat products.

First sold in 1975, the Kinoko no Yama snack has enjoyed lasting popularity. In 1978, the name “Kinoko no Yama” was registered as a textual trademark, and the product’s mushroom-like shape was registered as a three-dimensional trademark in 2018.

“Awareness is growing that intellectual property rights must be respected,” said Kazuhiko Ishimaru, the head of Meiji’s IP department. “Enforcing our rights will prevent the confusion caused by copycat products and protect our brand.”