Nissin Cup Noodles’ Striped Pattern to Be Registered as Positional Trademark

On April 6 Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. was able to register a “positional trademark” with the Japan Patent Office for their striped pattern found on the packaging of their Cup Noodles.

The decisive factor of the registration with regard to this pattern’s high awareness relates to the fact that the design has not changed since Cup Noodles’ release in 1971. The motif of this pattern’s design is said to be derived from a western style plate which Mr. Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. and inventor of instant ramen, found in a department store. Cup Noodles is currently being sold in about 80 countries, and global sales amount to over 40 billion.

The positional trademark registration system was introduced in Japan along with sound trademarks and hologram trademarks in 2015. Another example of a registered positional trademark in Japan is the red mesh design found on Kewpie Corporation’s mayonnaise packaging.