The meaning of similar trademarks means that when two trademarks are compared, the glyphs, pronunciations, meanings, etc. of the characters are similar. Key points: 1. Similar trademarks exist in comparison with registered trademarks. Without a registered trademark, there is no similar trademark targeted in the determination of trademark infringement. 2. A similar trademark is a trademark that is not exactly the same as a registered trademark. If they are exactly the same, they constitute the same trademark as the registered trademark and are no longer similar trademarks. 3. A similar trademark is a trademark that is the same or similar to a registered trademark in shape, pronunciation or meaning. If they are neither identical nor similar, then they are two completely different trademarks, and there is no question of similar trademarks anymore. 4. When judging similar trademarks, the so-called similarity has reached a level that is likely to cause confusion. That is, the trademark is used on the same or similar goods as the goods for which the registered trademark is approved. Ordinary consumers may have misconceptions about the source of the goods. know. If there is no misunderstanding, it is not a similar trademark. Principle of easy identification When a buyer purchases a certain brand of goods he needs in the market, he always bases his memory on a certain trademark or the impression left by this trademark on his mind, and this kind of Memories and impressions are imprecise, or vague, and buyers usually remember only certain features of the trademark. If two trademarks have the same characteristics so that ordinary buyers cannot distinguish them with ordinary attention, they are similar trademarks. For example, whether various trademarks of household daily necessities are similar should be based on whether the household owner can distinguish them with ordinary attention when purchasing the goods. French jurisprudence uses this as the standard for determining trademark similarity. The so-called general buyers should be final consumers, and should not include middlemen and connoisseurs with special hobbies, because the latter have specialized experience and will pay special attention to the trademark when purchasing. Generally, no dispute will occur due to the similarity of the trademarks. Confused. The United States, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and other countries also adopt this principle. Principle of substantial similarity Whether two trademarks are similar should be observed based on the trademark as a whole. This principle is adopted by most countries. In France, this principle applies to all types of goods, including word trademarks, graphic trademarks and joint trademarks. For example, MONORPIX and MENUPRIX, THERMOR and THERMAX are all deemed to be similar. Germany also adopts the principle of overall observation when judging the similarity of trademarks, but in jurisprudence it divides the effectiveness of trademarks into strong ones and weak ones. If a word mark is shorter and easier for consumers to remember and recognize, a wider range is adopted when making an overall observation of whether it is similar or not. Determination standards: On the contrary, if the trademark consists of two or more characters, in addition to the overall observation, each character must be observed separately. For concept trademarks (including intellectual trademarks), German courts also prohibit those with similar concepts, such as "You and I" (Du und lch) and "He and She" (Er), both of which are accompanied by two coffee pots. & Sie) two trademarks, this was done. Belgium also does not allow trademarks with similar concepts. For example, "Perle du Tokyo" and "Perle du Japan" are considered to be similar in concept. Japan also observes the cases as a whole. For example, the trademark "aCONTINENTAL" whose mark is all capital letters is regarded as similar to the trademark "Continental" whose mark has the same text but only the first letter is in uppercase and the rest are in lowercase. Isolation The principle of observation to determine whether a trademark is similar is not to carefully compare the two trademarks together, but to observe them in isolation so that the meaning of a certain part of the trademark becomes stronger, and the remaining part becomes an addition of strong meaning. In this case, it is easy for ordinary buyers to misunderstand the trademark, especially when one part of the trademark is not closely related to the other parts. The principle of popularity is often used to determine whether the trademark is similar to some well-known trademarks. Since a trademark enjoys a high degree of recognition among the relevant public, its function of indicating the origin of goods or services is even stronger. Even if the constituent elements of such a trademark are added, the more famous part has a strong function of indicating the origin. It is difficult to change the relevant public’s understanding of its origin.