Over 14 Million Units Sold Worldwide...Why Did Stokke Lose Its Copyright Lawsuit?

14 Million 'Tripp Trapp' Chairs Sold Worldwide

Court: "Mass-Produced Utilitarian Products Are Not Eligible for Copyright"

Norwegian baby product manufacturer Stokke filed a lawsuit against a Japanese furniture company, claiming infringement of its famous children's chair 'Tripp Trapp,' but ultimately lost the case.

According to Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and Asahi Shimbun on April 25, the previous day Japan's Supreme Court dismissed Stokke's appeal in the copyright infringement lawsuit against the Japanese company. As a result, the appellate court ruling, which did not recognize copyright protection for the chair, has been finalized.

The Tripp Trapp is a chair with adjustable footrests and height according to a child's growth, and has been produced since before 1974. This chair is Stokke's flagship and most popular product, with over 14 million units sold worldwide to date.

Stokke's 'Tripp Trapp' chair. Screenshot from the official Stokke website

In 2021, Stokke filed a lawsuit against Nose, a baby furniture manufacturer based in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, claiming that it infringed on its copyright by selling a similar product. Stokke demanded that Nose halt sales of the product and sought damages of approximately 14 million yen (about 14 million won).

The Tokyo District Court, which presided over the first trial, dismissed Stokke's claim, stating that the shapes of the two companies' products were different. The appellate court and the Supreme Court further ruled against Stokke, explaining that broadly recognizing copyright for mass-produced utilitarian goods, such as chairs, could undermine the purpose of design rights, which are intended to promote industrial development. The courts added that, while an item can exceptionally qualify as a copyrighted work if it contains creative elements that are subject to aesthetic appreciation apart from its functional aspects, the Tripp Trapp does not meet this condition.

This was the first time Japan's Supreme Court issued a ruling regarding the copyright protection of mass-produced utilitarian goods.

Japanese Firm Ordered to Pay 1.68 Billion Won for 'Logo Trademark Infringement' in Favor of U.S. Company

On the same day, a Japanese court also issued a ruling regarding trademark rights.

According to Yonhap News on April 25, the previous day the Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by Japanese music electronics company Zoom against the U.S. video conferencing platform operator Zoom Communications (ZC) and its Japanese distributor for unauthorized use of its logo. The court cited trademark infringement, noting that both companies' logos were stylized versions of the same four alphabet letters and that their names were identical, potentially causing confusion.

However, the court stated that since July 2020, with the widespread use of ZC's Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the distinction between the two has become recognized, and therefore set the damages amount based on the period up to the end of June 2020. The Japanese Zoom was established in 1983, while ZC was founded in 2011. As a result, the court ordered ZC to pay the Japanese Zoom approximately 166 million yen (about 1.53 billion won), and the Japanese distributor to pay 16.1 million yen (about 150 million won), totaling approximately 182.1 million yen (about 1.68 billion won). However, the court dismissed the Japanese Zoom's request to prohibit the American Zoom from using its logo.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.