The other day, I went for my annual health checkup. I haven’t received the results yet, but it will undoubtedly be a good opportunity to take a fresh look at my health.
This fiscal year, with the addition of new subsidies for health checkup costs by the Japan Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo), I get the impression that significant effort is being put into promoting and spreading the concept of “Health Management.” In fact, I often see this term in Kyokai Kenpo newsletters and other materials.
Recently, I’ve also started seeing the term “Health Management” in brochures from corporate insurance companies.
Incidentally, “Health Management” is a registered trademark (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 4922981) of the NPO Health Management Research Association, and it was reportedly registered in January 2006. The classification is Class 44, which includes medical care and health guidance. I was a little surprised to learn that this term has actually been around for quite some time.
On the other hand, upon investigation, I found that there are several other trademarks that include the term “Health Management.” For example, there are “Health Management Plus,” “Health Management Alliance,” and “Health Management Support Plan.” Despite being terms that might be deemed similar, it is clear that all of them are registered in classes that include Class 44.
As for why these are registered, while this is just one perspective, it may be that as the term “Health Management” itself has become widely used and acquired a certain degree of genericness, there are instances where the “Health Management” portion alone is deemed to lack distinctiveness. Therefore, it is likely that the decision on whether a trademark can be distinguished from others is based on the overall composition and combination of the trademark.
The world of trademark registration is truly profound.
If you have questions such as, “I want to register this term as a trademark, but will it be possible?” or “Does it resemble someone else’s trademark?”, please feel free to consult with our firm.
Now, on my way back to the office after successfully wrapping up our annual major event (?!), the bright blue sky was so striking that I snapped a quick photo with the Alex Building—where our office is located—in the background. With renewed enthusiasm, I returned to work♪ (Cacao)
*“Health Management Plus” is a registered trademark of Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd.
*“Health Management Alliance” is a registered trademark of Omron Corporation.
*“Health Management Support Plan” is a registered trademark of AIG General Insurance Co., Ltd.