Just before I cap off the day, I’d like to share with everyone that NIJISANJI is recorded in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Brand Database as a worldwide trademark.

Nijisanji Trademark
Image from the WIPO IP Portal – Click the image to visit the result.

If we look closely, there are classifications under this trademark (called “The International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks” or the Nice Classification), which means that anything indicated below that has the NIJISANJI name on it is protected by copyright laws worldwide.

To make this quick, let me cite some examples in which this applies. Code first, then some of the items classified under each code:

  • 09 – animated cartoons; downloadable electronic publications
  • 14 – pocket watches
  • 15 – guitars
  • 16 – stationery, posters, printed matter
  • 18 – backpacks, business card cases, umbrellas, vanity cases sold empty
  • 21 – glasses [receptacles]
  • 24 – towels of textile, pillowcases, bath towels, curtains, bed coverings
  • 25 – clothing, sleep masks, sneakers, t-shirts, traditional Japanese clothing
  • 28 – board games, slot machines, action figures, arcade game machines
  • 30 – tea beverages, coffee beverages, cocoa, bread, sandwiches, chewing gum, rice, instant noodles, chips [cereal products]
  • 35 – (in full) Advertising and publicity services; dissemination of advertising via on-line communications networks; arranging and conducting of fairs and exhibitions for the promotion of goods; providing information concerning commercial sales via on-line communications networks; mediation or conclusion of agreement regarding the sale of character goods; business planning; employment booking services for performing artists; business management consulting; association services, namely, promoting the commercial and business interests of performing artists; marketing research or analysis; talent agency services in the nature of business management of performing artists.
  • 38 – (also in full) Chat room services for social networking; telecommunication services; broadcasting services; news agency services; leasing of communication apparatus and instruments; transmission and distribution of data or audiovisual images via a global computer network or the Internet; transmission, broadcasting and reception of audio, video, still and moving images, text and data.
  • 41 – (in full; bear with me) Language interpreter services; language translation; reference libraries of literature and documentary records; arranging and conducting of movies, shows, plays or musical performances; providing online videos, not downloadable; game services provided online from a computer network; information relating to game services provided online from a computer network; presentation of live show performances; direction of plays; presentation of plays; presentation of musical performances; arranging, conducting and organization of seminars; publishing services; editing of electronic publications; multimedia publishing of electronic publications; providing online electronic publications, not downloadable; cinema presentations; production and distribution of cinema films; production of radio or television programs; production of videotape film in the field of education, culture, entertainment or sports [not for movies or television programs and not for advertising or publicity]; directing of radio and television programs; operation of video and audio equipment for the production of radio and television programs; educational services; providing information about entertainment; entertainment services.
  • 42 – (in full – still breathing, don’t worry) Graphic arts design; providing weather information; design and development of computer hardware; research in the field of computer hardware and software; hosting of digital content on the Internet; design, programming and maintenance of computer software; software as a service [SaaS]; design, creation and maintenance of web sites; technological advice relating to computers, automobiles and industrial machines; providing temporary use of web-based application software.
  • 43 – hotel accommodation services; cafeteria services; providing bar services; providing restaurant services;
  • 45 – licensing of intellectual property; legal administration of licences.

I went full speed with copying the details for Nice classifications 35, 48, 41 and 42 because I believe it’s most appropriate, given NIJISANJI’s offerings as a company engaging in the business of VTubers.

NIJISANJI also has a separate trademark in the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore.

You might be asking, does hololive have an international trademark too? Well, it’s complicated.

First, there’s already a Hololive trademarked in the US, which is for a software used in building/construction. This makes it complicated to COVER Corporation to put forward a global trademark. As far as I see, there’s already trademarks for HoloMyth and its members although it’s in select countries only, such as Canada, Singapore

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, hololive myth and hololive English are registered trademarks.

By the way, this is not the first time I talked about trademarks. I wrote a related piece in 2013.

Banner Photo from NIJISANJI on Twitter / ©︎ANYCOLOR, Inc.