JYP Entertainment has successfully defended the trademark rights of its character brand 'SKZOO,' associated with its group Stray Kids. 

The legal battle arose when the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) rejected JYP's trademark application for SKZOO, citing similarities with the trademarks of SK Group (SK Inc.). However, the court ruled in favor of JYP, stating that there was no likelihood of confusion between the two trademarks.

SKZOO features animal characters representing the members of Stray Kids (also known as 'SKZ'). JYP has marketed SKZOO through various merchandise, including plush dolls, figurines, and Kakao emoticons. The company initially filed for the SKZOO trademark in March 2022, but KIPO rejected the application in August 2022, claiming it was too similar to SK Group’s registered trademarks.

The rejection applied to multiple product categories, including Class 14 (precious metals and accessories), Class 16 (stickers and photographs), Class 25 (footwear and apparel), and Class 28 (concert light sticks and character dolls). The key issue was whether SKZOO could be perceived as 'SKZOO' (phonetically similar to SK Inc.). JYP contested this decision by filing an appeal with the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board (IPTAB), but it was dismissed.

IPTAB justified its decision by stating that SK is a well-known trademark, and SKZOO could be mistakenly associated with SK Group. The board argued that consumers might assume a special business relationship between JYP and SK Group due to the similarity in trademarks.

JYP then escalated the case to the Patent Court. KIPO argued that 'SKZOO' contained the prominent letters 'SK,' making it visually and phonetically similar to SK Group's trademarks, thereby posing a risk of consumer confusion. However, JYP countered that 'SKZOO' was derived from 'SKZ' (an abbreviation for Stray Kids) and 'ZOO' (representing animal characters), making it distinct in meaning and appearance.

The court ultimately sided with JYP. In November 2024, the ruling stated that the two trademarks were clearly distinguishable in appearance, pronunciation, and concept. The court concluded that consumers were unlikely to confuse the origins of the two brands. Furthermore, the ruling declared KIPO's rejection decision unlawful and ordered the cancellation of IPTAB’s previous decision.

Following this victory, SKZOO’s trademark registration under Class 25 (apparel) was officially announced on January 22, 2025. Other rejected categories are also expected to be successfully registered in due course.

Legal experts emphasize that brand recognition played a crucial role in the court's decision.

Park Yeon Joo, a patent attorney at THEHO Patent & Law Firm, explained, "Trademark pronunciation is usually determined based on common English language conventions. However, in this case, the ruling was influenced by the actual usage and recognition of the brand at the time of the trademark application. This decision suggests that companies can strengthen their trademark applications by consistently using distinctive pronunciations before filing."

Similarly, Yoon Shin Woo, head patent attorney at BIZN IP & Law Firm, noted, "The court acknowledged Stray Kids' extensive international activities, the fact that their music videos had surpassed 100 million views, and their widespread media coverage. Based on this, the court determined that SKZOO would naturally be pronounced as 'SKIZOO' rather than 'SK-JOO,' which was a key factor in overturning IPTAB’s decision. The established recognition of SKZOO played a decisive role in the final ruling."

JYP Entertainment’s successful defense of the SKZOO trademark marks a significant victory in the protection of intellectual property rights for entertainment brands.

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