翻訳コラム

深夜に行列ができる「天ぷら大吉」(大阪・堺本店ほか)と店名が似ている「大阪天ぷら大吉 北新地店」がオープンしました。しかし両者は無関係です。

報道によると、SNSではあの有名な「天ぷら大吉」が大阪北新地にも開店したことを喜ぶ投稿が相次いでいるとのこと。

あさり汁のメニューがある点も本家と同じだそうです。

「深夜行列の天ぷら店が提訴 SNSでも誤解招くそっくり店」(産経新聞)
https://www.sankei.com/west/news/210221/wst2102210002-n1.html

内装、メニューを模倣する事件はこれまで何度も生じました。たとえば
「コメダ珈琲店((株)コメダ)とマサキ珈琲((株)ミノスケ)」
の事件です(本ブログ第179回、第181回)。

店の内装を模倣された場合、どの法律を根拠に提訴するかは大きな課題です。
現在は内装を意匠登録できるため、意匠登録していれば、意匠権侵害と主張できます。

しかし今回の事件は内装の類似ではないようです。店名、看板、メニューの類似が問題になっています。
店名は商標登録されていれば、商標権侵害と主張できます。
「天ぷら大吉」が商標登録されていなければ、不正競争防止法のみで侵害を主張します。
天ぷら大吉は著名であるため、店名、看板の模倣の主張は認められるでしょう。
他方で、あさり汁のメニューは一般的であるため、模倣の主張が認められるのは難しいでしょう。

A tempura restaurant called Osaka Tempura Daikichi Kitashinchi Branch has opened with a similar name to the popular Tempura Daikichi (Sakai Main Branch, Osaka, among others), where people are lined up late at night. However, the two are unrelated.

Reportedly, there have been several posts on social media sites rejoicing that the famous Tempura Daikichi had opened a branch in Kitashinchi, Osaka.
The new restaurant also has Asari clam soup on the menu, which is the same as the menu at the famous Tempura Daikichi.

“Tempura restaurant with late-night queues files lawsuit against similarly-named restaurant that misleads on social media sites” (The Sankei Shimbun)
https://www.sankei.com/west/news/210221/wst2102210002-n1.html

There have been a number of incidents in which restaurant interiors and menus have been imitated. For example, the case of Komeda’s Coffee (Komeda Co., Ltd.) and Masaki’s Coffee (Minosuke Corporation) (see posts no. 179 and no. 181 of this blog).

When a store’s interior has been imitated, deciding the law on which to base a lawsuit is a big issue.
Interiors are currently permissible as design registrations, therefore if the design has been registered, design infringement can be claimed.

However, this case does not seem to be about a similarity in interior design. The issue is the similarity of the restaurant name, signboard, and menu.

If the restaurant name has been registered as a trademark, trademark infringement can be claimed.
If “Tempura Daikichi” has not been registered as a trademark, the owners can only claim infringement under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
Since Tempura Daikichi is well-known, the claim of imitation with regard to the restaurant name and signage should be accepted.
On the other hand, since Asari clam soup is a common menu item, it will likely be difficult for this claim of imitation to be accepted.