MUJI loses lawsuit in mainland China; only 24 product categories can use the “MUJI” trademark
The Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI has been embroiled in a years-long legal battle in mainland China over a company’s prior trademark registration. Japanese media reports indicate that the court has ultimately ruled against MUJI, forcing the company to use only the “MUJI” trademark in China for some of its products.
The Nikkei reported that Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. has lost its lawsuit against the Chinese authorities for invalidating the MUJI trademark, which was first registered by a local Chinese company. Ryohin Keikaku currently only uses the MUJI trademark for products in the so-called “24 categories,” such as towels and bedspreads, and will continue to do so.
According to Ryohin Keikaku, the Supreme People’s Court rejected the company’s request for retrial in June, effectively defeating the case. In 2019, Ryohin Keikaku filed an application with the National Intellectual Property Administration of China to invalidate 24 trademarks registered by local Chinese companies, but the application was rejected. The company subsequently filed an administrative lawsuit in 2020.
The first instance trial in 2021 and the second instance trial in 2023 both rejected Ryohin Keikaku’s claims, and the company filed for a retrial in July 2024. In China, Ryohin Keikaku can only use the MUJI trademark for products outside of Class 24. Regarding Class 24 products, since the MUJI trademark is currently used, the company stated that “there will be little impact on sales.”