- The number of related trademark applications reaches 555 in 2006, a 41%
increase compared to 2005 -
A person’s name can be applied as a
trademark (including a service mark) and be promoted as an outstanding brand.
For example, names such as ‘Kyoung-Hee Han,’ famous for inventing a steam
cleaner; ‘Andre Kim,’ recognized around the world for his designs; and ‘Chul
Jung,’ famous for his English academy are well-known brands that have been
registered as trademarks.
According to the Korean Intellectual Property
Office (KIPO), the number of newly-applied trademarks based on a person’s name
was 330 in 2002, 453 in 2003, 430 in 2004, 392 in 2005, and 555 in 2006. The
number is expected to increase this year again. As more people believe that
branding a person’s name is the key to success, the number of trademarks from a
person’s name is continues to increase.
During the past five years
(2002~2006), applications for 2,160 trademarks have been made as a person’s
name. ‘Kyoung-Hee Han’ had 42 trademark applications, followed by ‘Joo-Won Jin’
with 24 trademarks, ‘Chul Jung,’ with 22 trademarks and ‘Joon-Sik Shin’ with 20
trademarks.
Looking at the specific fields of these trademarks, most of
the names are applied as a mark for the service field, or as a trademark for the
food field.
• 1,309 (60.6%) applications were for the service field,
• 391 (18.1%) for the food and crops field,
• 79 (3.7%) for the paper
and office supply field,
• 77 (3.6%) for the clothing/shoe/hat field, and
• 46 (2.1%) for the cosmetic and soap field.
People who want to
apply their name as a trademark shall first check if their name is
pre-registered in KIPO, and if their name includes the name or nickname of a
famous celebrity. If either is true, their name cannot be registered as a
trademark. Some examples of the name or nickname of a famous celebrity include
the famous designer ‘Andre Kim’ and the sports star ‘Seri Pak.’
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