{"id":272,"date":"2026-11-01T18:37:29","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T09:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-use-evidence\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T16:32:19","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T07:32:19","slug":"japan-trademark-use-evidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-use-evidence\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep Evidence of Trademark Use in Japan (Non-Use Cancellation Checklist, 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">&#8220;We registered our trademark in Japan years ago, but sales there only started recently \u2014 is our registration safe?&#8221; &#8220;We sell to Japan only through Amazon. What counts as evidence of use?&#8221; &#8220;Our Japanese distributor sells the products. Does that count as our use?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A Japanese trademark registration is not protected forever just because it was granted. If a registered mark has not been used in Japan for three consecutive years or more, anyone can file a non-use cancellation trial against it \u2014 and the burden of proving use falls on the owner. In this article, Japanese Patent Attorney Toru Kano of BrandAgent explains how non-use cancellation works and how to keep evidence of use, with a practical checklist for online sellers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">*Information as of November 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"st-mybox st-mybox-class\" style=\"margin: 18px 0; padding: 16px; border: 2px solid #e5e7eb; border-radius: 10px; background: #fafafa;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>What you will learn<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 10px 0 0 18px;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">How non-use cancellation trials work in Japan<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">What counts as &#8220;use of the registered trademark&#8221; \u2014 and what does not<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Why dated evidence matters<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">How to keep evidence for online and Amazon sales<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A checklist you can start using today<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Non-use cancellation trials in Japan: the basics<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Japan&#8217;s non-use cancellation trial allows a registration to be cancelled if the mark has not been used in Japan for three consecutive years or more. The aim is to clear unused marks off the register so that others can adopt them.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Anyone can file:<\/strong> the requester does not need to show any particular interest.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>The owner must prove use:<\/strong> the owner has to show that the registered mark was used in Japan within the three years before the trial request was registered.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Licensees count:<\/strong> use by the owner, an exclusive licensee or a non-exclusive licensee is accepted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Cancellation is retroactive:<\/strong> if cancelled, the right is deemed to have ceased on the date the trial request was registered.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">For the requester, the official JPO fee for a trademark trial is JPY 15,000 + JPY 40,000 per class. That is not much, so it is common for a company that finds a blocking registration to file a non-use cancellation to clear the way for its own application.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"st-mybox  has-title st-mybox-class\" style=\"background:#ffebee;border-color:#ef9a9a;border-width:2px;border-radius:5px;margin: 25px 0 25px 0;\"><p class=\"st-mybox-title\" style=\"color:#ef5350;font-weight:bold;text-shadow: #fff 3px 0px 0px, #fff 2.83487px 0.981584px 0px, #fff 2.35766px 1.85511px 0px, #fff 1.62091px 2.52441px 0px, #fff 0.705713px 2.91581px 0px, #fff -0.287171px 2.98622px 0px, #fff -1.24844px 2.72789px 0px, #fff -2.07227px 2.16926px 0px, #fff -2.66798px 1.37182px 0px, #fff -2.96998px 0.42336px 0px, #fff -2.94502px -0.571704px 0px, #fff -2.59586px -1.50383px 0px, #fff -1.96093px -2.27041px 0px, #fff -1.11013px -2.78704px 0px, #fff -0.137119px -2.99686px 0px, #fff 0.850987px -2.87677px 0px, #fff 1.74541px -2.43999px 0px, #fff 2.44769px -1.73459px 0px, #fff 2.88051px -0.838246px 0px;\"><i class=\"fa fa-check-circle st-css-no\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Last-minute use usually does not help<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Use made between three months before the trial request and the date the request is registered is disregarded if the requester proves that the use was made after the user learned a request would be filed \u2014 unless the owner shows a legitimate reason. Typical warning sign: someone approaches you asking to buy your Japanese mark, and you start using it only afterwards. Evidence has to be built up continuously, not when a problem appears.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">What counts as use of a trademark in Japan<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Under the Japanese Trademark Act, &#8220;use&#8221; includes affixing the mark to goods or their packaging; selling, delivering or importing goods bearing the mark; providing goods or services over the internet; and displaying or distributing advertisements, price lists or business documents bearing the mark, including electronically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Good evidence answers three questions:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Which mark?<\/strong> The registered mark itself, or a form regarded as identical in the eyes of the trade.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Which goods or services?<\/strong> Goods or services that are designated in the registration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>When and where?<\/strong> Within the relevant three-year period, in Japan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">&#8220;Identical in the eyes of the trade&#8221;<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A mark used in a slightly different form can still count. The JPO&#8217;s trial manual gives examples: the same letters in a different typeface, or a switch between hiragana, katakana and Roman letters that gives the same pronunciation and meaning (for example the katakana for &#8220;rabu&#8221; and &#8220;love&#8221;). On the other hand, where the meaning differs \u2014 the katakana &#8220;p\u012bsu&#8221; can mean &#8220;peace&#8221; or &#8220;piece&#8221;, so it is not treated as identical to &#8220;peace&#8221; \u2014 the use does not count.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">If you substantially redesigned your logo, added words, or broke up a word-and-device combination, the use may not count as use of the registered mark. After a rebrand, consider filing the new logo as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Use on the designated goods<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A cancellation request may target only some of the designated goods or services. If your registration covers &#8220;clothing&#8221; but you only sell hats, the registration may be cancelled for goods you do not actually sell, depending on how the request is framed. Know which of your designated goods your actual products fall under.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Strong evidence vs weak evidence<\/span><\/h2>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"1\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f5f5f5;\">\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Useful evidence<\/span><\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 8px; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Weak or often unusable<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Photos of goods\/packaging bearing the mark, plus sales records for the same goods<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Product photos with no indication of when they were taken or sold<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Invoices, delivery notes and purchase orders showing date, product name and mark<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Internal plans, prototypes and other material never shown to the market<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Dated catalogues, flyers, advertisements and trade-show material in Japan<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Sales or advertising outside Japan only<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Online product pages saved with URL and date<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Use of a logo that differs substantially from the registration<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Import documents showing the product and brand<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 8px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Use on goods outside the designated goods<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">One document rarely proves everything. The usual approach is to combine evidence: a product photo shows the mark on the goods, an invoice shows the date and the transaction, and a product page shows the offer to Japanese customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Evidence for online sellers and Amazon Japan<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">If you sell to Japan only online, you have no shop and maybe no printed catalogue, so evidence can be surprisingly thin. Product pages change or disappear, so you need to save them deliberately.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Save your product pages:<\/strong> save the page (for example as PDF) with the mark, product name and price visible, and with the URL and date shown. Doing this regularly \u2014 say every six months \u2014 helps show use throughout the period.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Keep sales records:<\/strong> order data or sales reports showing dates and product names. Personal data of customers can be redacted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Photograph the real products:<\/strong> keep dated photos showing the mark on goods and packaging as shipped.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Show that sales target Japan:<\/strong> sales on Japanese marketplaces (Amazon.co.jp, Rakuten Ichiba and so on), Japanese-language listings, prices in yen and shipping records to Japanese addresses all help show use directed at Japanese consumers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">What data a marketplace dashboard shows, and for how long, can change when the platform updates its systems. Download and keep the data you need yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">If your Japanese distributor uses the mark<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Many overseas brands own the Japanese registration while a Japanese importer or distributor does the actual selling. Use by a licensee counts, but you should be able to show the permission \u2014 keep the distribution or licence agreement \u2014 and make sure the distributor keeps invoices, photos and advertising material each year. It is much easier to collect this routinely than to ask for it urgently during a trial.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Checklist: start today<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"st-mybox  has-title st-mybox-class\" style=\"background:#f1f8e9;border-color:#a5d6a7;border-width:2px;border-radius:5px;margin: 25px 0 25px 0;\"><p class=\"st-mybox-title\" style=\"color:#4caf50;font-weight:bold;text-shadow: #fff 3px 0px 0px, #fff 2.83487px 0.981584px 0px, #fff 2.35766px 1.85511px 0px, #fff 1.62091px 2.52441px 0px, #fff 0.705713px 2.91581px 0px, #fff -0.287171px 2.98622px 0px, #fff -1.24844px 2.72789px 0px, #fff -2.07227px 2.16926px 0px, #fff -2.66798px 1.37182px 0px, #fff -2.96998px 0.42336px 0px, #fff -2.94502px -0.571704px 0px, #fff -2.59586px -1.50383px 0px, #fff -1.96093px -2.27041px 0px, #fff -1.11013px -2.78704px 0px, #fff -0.137119px -2.99686px 0px, #fff 0.850987px -2.87677px 0px, #fff 1.74541px -2.43999px 0px, #fff 2.44769px -1.73459px 0px, #fff 2.88051px -0.838246px 0px;\"><i class=\"fa fa-check-circle st-css-no\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Evidence checklist<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">List your Japanese registrations: mark, number and designated goods.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Check that the logo you actually use matches the registered mark.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Check which designated goods your products fall under.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Keep dated photos of goods and packaging.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Keep invoices and delivery notes showing the mark and product names.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Save Japanese product pages with URL and date, regularly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">If a licensee or distributor uses the mark, keep the agreement and collect their evidence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">How BrandAgent can help<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">BrandAgent has handled more than 4,000 applications, and every case is handled personally by a licensed Japanese patent attorney. If you have received a non-use cancellation request, need help organising evidence, or want to cancel someone else&#8217;s unused mark, contact us for a free quote. We communicate in English and Chinese; payment by PayPal (JPY) or bank transfer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">For new Japanese trademark applications \u2014 for example after a logo redesign \u2014 our fees are JPY 25,000 per class at filing and JPY 25,000 per class at registration (excluding consumption tax), with a free prior search when you instruct us to file. Foreign applicants without an address in Japan must file through a Japanese patent attorney.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">FAQ<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Can our mark be cancelled within three years of registration?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Not by non-use cancellation, which requires three consecutive years of non-use in Japan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Does selling in China or the US count as use in Japan?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. No. The mark must be used in Japan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. We use a slightly modified logo. Is that a problem?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. A typeface change may be accepted as identical, but structural changes may not. Consider filing the new logo.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Can we start using the mark after a trial is requested?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. The trial looks at use in the three years before the request is registered, so use started after registration of the request does not count. Use from three months before the request until its registration is also disregarded if the requester proves it was made after you learned of the coming request, unless there is a legitimate reason. Build evidence continuously.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Q. Our distributor sells the goods. Does that count?<\/strong><br \/>\nA. Yes, licensee use counts. Keep the agreement and the distributor&#8217;s sales evidence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"st-mybox  has-title st-mybox-class\" style=\"background:#f1f8e9;border-color:#a5d6a7;border-width:2px;border-radius:5px;margin: 25px 0 25px 0;\"><p class=\"st-mybox-title\" style=\"color:#4caf50;font-weight:bold;text-shadow: #fff 3px 0px 0px, #fff 2.83487px 0.981584px 0px, #fff 2.35766px 1.85511px 0px, #fff 1.62091px 2.52441px 0px, #fff 0.705713px 2.91581px 0px, #fff -0.287171px 2.98622px 0px, #fff -1.24844px 2.72789px 0px, #fff -2.07227px 2.16926px 0px, #fff -2.66798px 1.37182px 0px, #fff -2.96998px 0.42336px 0px, #fff -2.94502px -0.571704px 0px, #fff -2.59586px -1.50383px 0px, #fff -1.96093px -2.27041px 0px, #fff -1.11013px -2.78704px 0px, #fff -0.137119px -2.99686px 0px, #fff 0.850987px -2.87677px 0px, #fff 1.74541px -2.43999px 0px, #fff 2.44769px -1.73459px 0px, #fff 2.88051px -0.838246px 0px;\"><i class=\"fa fa-check-circle st-css-no\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>Key points<\/p><div class=\"st-in-mybox\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">A mark unused in Japan for three consecutive years can be cancelled at anyone&#8217;s request.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The owner must prove use; last-minute use made after learning of the request does not count if the requester proves that knowledge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Evidence should show which mark, which goods, and when \u2014 in Japan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Online sellers should save dated product pages and sales records regularly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Licensee and distributor use counts \u2014 keep the agreement too.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"related-articles\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Related articles<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan_trademark-non-use-cancellation\/\">Non-Use Cancellation Trials in Japan: Requirements, Procedure and When You Can Win<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-name-address-change\/\">Changing the Owner&#8217;s Name or Address on a Japanese Trademark: Pending vs Registered (2026)<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/amazon-japan-brand-registry-trademark\/\">Amazon Brand Registry in Japan: Getting the Japanese Trademark You Need<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/japan-trademark-rights\/\">What Is a Trademark Right in Japan? When It Arises, Scope, Duration and Infringement<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f0f7ff; border: 2px solid #0066cc; padding: 20px; margin: 24px 0; border-radius: 6px;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\"><strong>Worried about non-use of your Japanese trademark?<\/strong><br \/>\nTell us your registration and how you sell in Japan \u2014 we will reply with advice and a quote, free of charge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">BrandAgent Patent Office (Kyoto, Japan)<br \/>\nToru Kano, Japanese Patent Attorney<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #0066cc; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en\/trademark_lp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 120%;\">Get a free quote for your Japanese trademark<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Japanese trademark unused for 3 years can be cancelled. What counts as use and how to keep dated evidence for online and Amazon Japan sales, with a checklist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trademark"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":282,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272\/revisions\/282"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandagent.jp\/en_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}