Name value and prestige is extremely important for people in Japan. A recent trademark registration application is upsetting some in higher education now.
Designated National University Corporation Osaka University (“Osaka University”), one of the highest-ranked and national public universities of Japan, reported its concern over the selected English name of the newly forming (merged) University Public Corporation Osaka–“University of Osaka.” Osaka University warned the latter that the name is too similar in English to prevent confusion. Its latest announcement on August 6, 2020, details its contentions.[1]
Osaka University raises several issues of how its English title can be and already is confused overseas, and would be further compromised by the registration of “University of Osaka” for its rival. For example, it worries that its high reputation would be confused with, or diminished by, its academic articles being attributed to “University of Osaka”–since, apparently, there already is no uniformity across academic journals; some articles say they are from “Osaka University” and others say they are from “University of Osaka.”[1] (Presumably, Osaka University authors are not using the title Osaka University consistently.)
The presumptive “University of Osaka” has not changed course in response to Osaka University’s appeals. The latter now is appealing to the Japan Patent Office (JPO) examiners to deny registration of “University of Osaka” to UPC Osaka.[2] The JPO will need to make a clear decision to help both schools move forward.
The JPO’s decision either for or against the University Public Corporation Osaka trademark registration will only partly settle the matter. The burden is largely on each university, to set and keep a clear policy in foreign languages–for example, to distinguish themselves in the cases of how journals name them.
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Taro Yaguchi
Sources
[1] Designated National University Corporation Osaka University. “大阪公立大学の英語名称にかかる問題点について（第３報） [Problems with the English wording of University Public Corporation Osaka name].” https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja/news/topics/2020/08/20200806 August 6, 2020. Accessed August 13, 2020.
[2] Hanafusa Asako. “大阪公立大の英語表記、阪大が商標登録でも異議を検討 [].” https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN8664FKN86PTIL01P.html Asahi Shimbun. August 6, 2020. Accessed August 13, 2020.
Header image of Osaka Castle: by clsrnand from Pixabay.
