TM-RoBo Significantly Updates Self-Exclusion Feature to Self-Registration Feature

IP-RoBo Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Masafumi Iwahara, hereinafter IP-RoBo) provides "TM-RoBo," an artificial intelligence service that supports trademark searches, including trademark registrability and infringement risks due to use.

Regarding the self-exclusion feature of TM-RoBo's AI phonetic search and AI trademark search functions, updates have been made, such as correcting similarity indicators after analyzing the scope of rights of self-registered trademarks. The service will be provided as a self-registration function starting Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

This update will improve the accuracy of similarity searches and enable more precise selection of designated goods and services at the time of application.

In particular, for companies that have acquired a large number of registered trademarks, a significant improvement in the accuracy and efficiency of similarity searches is expected.

Background

In April 2018, we released "TM-RoBo," an AI that quantifies various indicators useful for determining the registrability of search trademarks by machine learning the judgments of experts from the Japan Patent Office, courts, etc. Since then, we have aimed to dramatically improve the efficiency of trademark search operations by sequentially adding new features.

In particular, the <AI Trademark Search Function> released in July 2020 has been a groundbreaking feature that enables high-accuracy and high-efficiency trademark searches by realizing the following functions:

Enables similarity search for character trademarks as they appear (in all character types such as Kanji, Hiragana, and alphabet).

For combined character trademarks, it extracts and analyzes all combinable words that can be observed separately, and the AI calculates various indicators useful for judgment.

Displays co-existing registration examples useful for judging key parts, if necessary.

Challenges

In April 2025, we released a self-exclusion feature that allows the exclusion of our own registered trademarks from similarity search targets, as their presence does not hinder applications or registrations, even if they appear among the search results.

This self-exclusion feature has improved the accuracy and efficiency of searches for companies with many self-registered trademarks by preventing the existence of our own registered trademarks from adversely affecting similarity searches.

However, if a hit self-registered trademark has extremely strong rights and is superior to third-party registered trademarks, simply excluding that self-registered trademark is insufficient. In this case, the challenge remained that a separate, complex, and specialized investigation would be necessary to individually examine the scope of rights of the self-registered trademark and the third-party registered trademark.

Feature Overview

To solve the above challenges, we have significantly improved the self-exclusion feature and updated it to a self-registration feature.

Specifically, when a self-registered trademark is hit during a similarity search, we analyze whether it has strong rights under the search conditions, accurately correct various indicators useful for trademark searches, and color-code them according to the rights status of the self-registered trademark as follows:

Display Color

Rights Status

[Green]

When a self-registered trademark with strong rights exists under the search conditions.

[Purple]

When a self-registered trademark with strong rights exists under the search conditions, but a third-party registered trademark with similarly strong rights also exists.

[Yellow]

When a self-registered trademark with strong rights does not exist under the search conditions.

Then, we display the self-registered trademarks and third-party registered trademarks with strong rights in a ranked and color-coded manner, and clearly indicate the scope of rights for each registered trademark.

[Example of Results Screen]

[Example of Results Screen]

Effects

With this update, TM-RoBo will automatically analyze whether powerful self-registered trademarks or powerful third-party registered trademarks are included in the search results and correctly correct various indicators, allowing for easier access to more accurate search results.

Furthermore, the analysis status described above will be displayed clearly, allowing for consolidated access to information necessary for responding when a powerful third-party registered trademark exists (such as selection of designated goods/services).

This feature will significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of trademark searches for companies with numerous registered trademarks.

What is TM-RoBo?

When newly using a trademark as a name for goods or services, or when seeking to acquire trademark rights, it is extremely important to investigate whether identical or similar trademarks have already been applied for or registered. Such trademark investigations are commonly performed.

However, existing systems for conducting trademark searches can only perform exact matches or similar searches for the trademark itself (trademark search), making it difficult to perform the more important similarity search. While similarity searches are possible for phonetics (trademark readings), the inability to display results considering the degree of similarity requires investigators to meticulously check all listed trademarks.

For these reasons, trademark investigations have required advanced expertise, as well as significant time and cost.

We released TM-RoBo, an AI trained on the judgments of experts from the Japan Patent Office, courts, etc., in April 2018. Since then, by sequentially releasing additional features, we have supported dramatic improvements in the operational efficiency of trademark searches using the latest AI technology.

In addition to the newly released self-registration feature, TM-RoBo currently offers the following features (some are paid options):

AI Phonetic Search Function

Similar Group Code Search Function

Similar Group Code Template Function

Batch Phonetic Search Function

AI Trademark Search Function

Appearance Partial Match Search Function

Phonetic Partial Match Search Function

B+A Type Search Function (Conceptual Similarity Search Function)

Distinctiveness and Division Point Analysis Function from Registration Examples

Batch PDF Output Function

System Integration Function, etc.

Official Website Here

About IP-RoBo Inc.

Company Name: IP-RoBo Inc. (https://ip-robo.co.jp/)

Representative: Masafumi Iwahara, President and CEO

Location: 7th Floor, Shinbashi TS Building, 1-22-5 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Established: March 20, 2018

Capital: 10.67 million yen

Business Activities:

1. Consulting Business (General consulting related to intellectual property)

2. Web Service Business (Internet information services related to intellectual property)

3. Software Development Business (Design and development of software related to intellectual property)

Inquiries: Mail: info@ip-robo.co.jp