L.A. TECH & MEDIA LAW FIRM – Intellectual Property & Technology Law

HELLO KITTY® TRADEMARK PORTFOLIO EXAMINED

Hello Kitty Trademark Portfolio Blog - L.A. Tech and Media Law Firm, Los Angeles Technology Startup Attorney, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills

When entrepreneurs or tech startups and small businesses start thinking about branding, trademark protection, and best practices for brand expansion and registation in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), it is sometimes useful to review other famous trademark portfolios and franchises which may illustrate how building a trademark portfolio for startups can benefit the company now, and into the future as the technology scales and the venture expands its trademark portfolio into other goods and services.

Hello Kitty Trademark Portfolio Blog - L.A. Tech and Media Law Firm, Los Angeles Technology Startup Attorney, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills

The Hello Kitty® franchise provides a good example of a robust trademark portfolio that spans various goods and services and international classifications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Hello Kitty® Trademark Portfolio Beginnings

Hello Kitty origins date back to 1974, and several of its trademark filings claim 1976 as its date of first use in commerce in the United States. Originally, Hello Kitty began as a fictional character, described as young female anthropomorphization of a Japanese Bobtail cat with a red bow and no mouth. According to her backstory, she is a perpetual 3rd-grade student who lives outside of London. This is illustrative to entrepreneurs, creators, and technology startups, because while fictional characters are not necessarily protected by trademark law, many creators of characters protect their intellectual property under trademark law, provided they meet the federal use in commerce requirements. The Hello Kitty® Trademark Portfolio demonstrates how legal trademark protection applies to a character that is use in connection with promotion of various goods and services.

Hello Kitty Trademark Portfolio – YouTube Channel

Hello Kitty® Trademark Portfolio Details

The HELLO KITTY® brand, as a word, is trademark that is legally owned by Sanrio Company, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a famous publisher of various characters, media, and owns several merchandising lines. Sarino Company’s trademark portfolio includes the following federal U.S. Trademark Registrations in the USPTO: 35 Records.

Serial NumberReg. NumberWord MarkCheck StatusLive/Dead
1865812654845719HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
2861843134620151HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
3865812844858328HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
4865812504858326HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
5865815034850610HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
6865814484850607HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
7865814384850605HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
8865814034850604HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
9865813594850601HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
10865813454850599HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
11865813074850595HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
12865812964850594HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
13865815594845754HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
14865815504845753HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
15865815414845751HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
16865815274845748HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
17865814954845743HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
18865814914845742HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
19865814834845741HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
20865814724845739HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
21865814564845738HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
22865814194845735HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
23865813884845729HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
24865813734845728HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
25865813314845724HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
26865813174845723HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
27850480993935868HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
28850400253907219HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
29777716213744610HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
30777588703757042HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
31766147193149235HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
32755472492488122HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
33733888601279486HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
34735242201391550HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE
35732524961215436HELLO KITTYTSDRLIVE

The Hello Kitty® Trademark Portfolio expands to goods and services in a variety of classifications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. For example, the HELLO KITTY® trademark, U.S. Registration No. 1215436, filed in 1982, covers:

C 003. US 001 004 006 050 051 052. G & S: COSMETICS-NAMELY, HAIR SHAMPOOS [, HAIR RINSES, ] [ COLOGNES ] AND PERFUMES [, AND CHILDREN’S COSMETIC VANITY CASES CONTAINING COSMETICS ]. FIRST USE: 19760101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760806
IC 008. US 023. G & S: Scissors and Chop Sticks. FIRST USE: 19760101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760806

(CANCELLED) IC 014. US 002 027 028 050. G & S: [ Pendants ]. FIRST USE: 19760101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760806

IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S: [ PAPER LUNCH BAGS, PAPER CLIP BOXES, ][ LETTER RACKS, ] SEALS AND STAMPS FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES, COLORING BOOKS, NOTEBOOKS, STATIONERY, NAMELY, LETTER PAPER AND ENVELOPES, PENS, PENCILS, DIARIES, STAPLERS, ERASERS, [ AUTOGRAPH BOOKS, ] CLIP BOARDS, PENCIL SHARPENERS. FIRST USE: 19760101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760806

IC 018. US 001 002 003 022 041. G & S: COIN PURSES, CLOTH TOTE BAGS, BACKPACKS, CLOTH HANDBAGS, SHOULDER BAGS, PURSES, WALLETS, AND VINYL CASES FOR CARRYING IDENTIFICATION CARDS [, TIME SCHEDULES, PICTURES AND THE LIKE ]. FIRST USE: 19760101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760806

IC 021. US 002 013 023 029 030 033 040 050. G & S: PLASTIC [ FOOD TRAYS AND ] CUPS FOR DOMESTIC USE, LUNCH BOXES, [ TOWEL BARS, ] HAIR BRUSHES. FIRST USE: 19760101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760806

IC 024. US 042 050. G & S: [ Cloth Napkins, ] Cloth Handkerchiefs. FIRST USE: 19760101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760806

IC 025. US 039. G & S: Aprons. FIRST USE: 19760101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760806

https://www.sanrio.com/collections/more

Also in the Hello Kitty® Trademark Portfolio, there is U.S. Registration No. 1391550 filed in connection with:

IC 016. US 038. G & S: DIARIES. FIRST USE: 19820400. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19820400
IC 020. US 022. G & S: SLUMBER BAGS. FIRST USE: 19820400. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19820400

The list goes on and on and other registrations in the Hello Kitty® Trademark Portfolio cover goods such as blankets, saucers, mugs, bedding, towels, jewelry, jewelry boxes, and even wine in International Class 033. This is a great example of a character created and which reached commercial success first through publishing and entertainment services, then expaneded its trademark portfolio into a substnatil number of goods and services marketd in comerce in the United States.

When Entrepreneurs, technology startup and other small businesses are adopting, selecting, and filing for a trademark registration of a new brand name, logo design, or slogan, they are well advised to consult with an experienced trademark portfolio lawyer in Los Angeles that can advise them on their current and future looking branding objectives, and best practices for legal protection in the United States under the United States trademark law, Title 17 of the United States Code, the Lanham Act.

David N. Sharifi, Esq.
David N. Sharifi, Esq.

David N. Sharifi, Esq. is a Los Angeles based intellectual property attorney and technology startup consultant with focuses in entertainment law, emerging technologies, trademark protection, and “the internet of things”. David was recognized as one of the Top 30 Most Influential Attorneys in Digital Media and E-Commerce Law by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Office: Ph: 310-751-0181; david@latml.com.

Disclaimer: The content above is a discussion of legal issues and general information; it does not constitute legal advice and should not be used as such without seeking professional legal counsel. Reading the content above does not create an attorney-client relationship. All trademarks are the property of L.A. Tech & Media Law Firm or their respective owners. Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.

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