There is little doubt that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has overtaken just about every record in its path. However, there appears to be one thing that the franchise simply cannot win. The ongoing trademark case on Tanjiro Kamado's attire has once again been rejected by the Japan Patent Office (JPO).
Back in 2020, Shueisha had filed a trademark application on Demon Slayer's six main characters. The aim to copyright the patterns was to "protect the distribution of genuine products."
Although some of the patterns have been approved, the JPO has rejected the copyright on Tanjiro's attire. According to the JPO, the pattern is not distinct enough to warrant a copyright claim.
"The trademark of the present application is understood to be a kind of so-called "checkered pattern" in which black and green squares are arranged alternately and repeatedly and should fulfill the function of identifying own and other products," the JPO stated.
"There is a black line on the edge of the square trademark, but the black line is hard to recognize at first glance because there is no margin on the outside. The checkered pattern is familiar as a traditional pattern and is commonly used as a decorative pattern such as with clothing. Then, the trademark of the present application has the characteristics claimed by the applicant. Even if it does, the overall impression it gives the viewer cannot go beyond the commonly used decorative patterns," the statement concludes.
Although Demon Slayer failed to get the copyright claim on Tanjiro's attire, the franchise continues to push forward with other successes. The second season of Demon Slayer is already set to air later this month and this could mean the anime will be slaying more records.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 2 will premiere on October 10.
Related: Demon Slayer Zenitsu Actor Shares Exciting Personal Update
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