Happy World Emoji Day #WorldEmojiDay Which Emojis are Trademarks?

Happy World Emoji Day #WorldEmojiDay Which Emojis are Trademarks?

  • 17 July, 2018
  • Nyall Engfield

Happy World Emoji Day! Which Emojis are Trademarks?

Have you wondered how many emojis are trademarked? Below is the full list of 151 live marks, applications and registrations. Some are in the more traditional emoticon form, using brackets ( ) and ; : etc. but many are in the more modern design form that was developed in Japan starting in 1999, and formalized in Unicode in 2010.

A few examples:

Emoji Trademark

The Rise of Emoji Trademarks

As businesses seek to differentiate themselves in a crowded market, the use of distinctive, recognizable symbols becomes crucial. Emojis, with their universal appeal and ability to convey complex emotions and ideas succinctly, have become attractive assets for companies aiming to connect with their audience on a more personal level. The trademarking of emojis, or emoji-inspired designs, allows companies to legally protect these symbols when they are used to represent their products or services, preventing others from using similar marks in a way that could cause confusion among consumers.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

The process of trademarking an emoji involves several legal hurdles. Trademarks are traditionally designed to protect logos, names, and symbols that are unique to a brand, offering a way to distinguish goods and services in the market. However, emojis are generally considered to be part of the public domain, created and standardized by the Unicode Consortium, which complicates the notion of exclusivity essential to trademark law. For an emoji to be trademarked, it must undergo significant modification to reflect distinctive characteristics unique to the brand, moving beyond the generic version available on keyboards.

Furthermore, there are ethical considerations. Emojis are a global language, understood and used by billions of people. Attempting to trademark standard emojis could be seen as an effort to monopolize aspects of digital communication, raising questions about the balance between protecting business interests and preserving the open nature of digital culture.

Case Studies and Precedents

Several companies have successfully trademarked emoji-inspired logos or specific emoji designs for their products, setting precedents in intellectual property law. For example, a well-known beverage company might trademark an emoji design that incorporates its unique bottle shape, or a fast-food chain could trademark a specific emoji combination that reflects its brand identity. These cases typically involve designs that are distinct enough from the standard emojis to be recognized as specific to the brand, thereby qualifying for trademark protection.

If the mark is registered, it has a number in the Reg. Number column. Otherwise, it's an application. If there is nothing in Word Mark, then it's a design or logo.

Word Mark Serial Number Reg. Number
AYLSON 88012773
88000615
MISSING MANIC : ) : : ( : : | : : X : :\ : 87416287
EMOJINATION 87798571
EMOCHIP MI COSECHA THE THY WAY TO GO! PL RE 87602936
MOODY 87586854
87898205
YOUMAP 87658150
PERMA GRINN :) 87306664
87824841
NECANO 87810103
EMOJINATION 87977046 5455305
EMOJINATION 87372460
MINISO 87674995
COCO 'MOJI 87603485
LOL COMEDIHA! 87789829
87238208
UNPOPULAR CELEBRITY 87637268
AFFECTIVA 87731907
AFFECTIVA 87731901
AFFECTIVA 87731897
AFFECTIVA 87731893
GOODY CADDY 87868485
WHOGOTDA MUNCHIES 87684695
PENOJI 87658854
GROVE ZERO 87692526
EMOTI BALLS 87303852 5389635
EMBARRASS THE DOUBTERS D.A 87637506
HAHATEC 87452694
BIX:)BEE 87247208 5367838
BIX:)BY 87247201 5367837
SAMSUNG BIX:)BY 87247175 5367834
STAMPERZ 87178005 5314939
SMILEONU 87160429 5330973
DON'T EVEN ASK BAD DAY GOOD DAY 87020616 5317960
SUPER EMOJI EXPRESSIONS 87252192
TEAM:)D 87389683 5311150
:DENTALPLANS.COM 87350726 5309852
X 87185157 5308122
AMOJI 87270046 5279925
MEETME 87108564 5279375
BLESSLIVING 87299958 5275885
MOGE 87048692 5262300
OTIMO 87180855 5195374
JOYSMILE 87100224 5155135
87089843 5145673
87085249 5114642
DAPPRY 87016420 5104291
SMILE+ 86701428 5055789
FLIRTYZ REDEFINING EMOJIS 86946024
EMOJINATION 86983574 5433969
EMOJINATION 86757745
RA 86369931 5069167
HAPPY METER 86562156 4836124
NATURAL WUNDERZ 86964337 5454090
SM:)E @LIFE 86785359
BRIDGING PEERS 86954731 5408102
EATMOJI 86835250 5387212
VAPE:-)APPY VAPE AND BE HAPPY 86421718 4971426
ILLUSIVE 86742832 5258591
86786878 5142761
GRIP KIDS 86720102 5134347
C: 86528088 5126666
IDEAS AND PEOPLE 86550797 5115131
OBOKAID'EM GAMES 86911977 5108105
86727461 5110737
PERSHOO 86927122 5062954
11H 11HOWARD 86838014 5060998
THE LIGHTINGBUG 86292400 5055061
CG 86905657 5045264
BUENA GENTE 86817485 5011644
DIGIT 86771924 4986862
MISTER:- FACE 86808210 4983172
CG 86518585 4942564
DWINKER 86165116 4941829
86660891 4934187
FANTASTIC :) 86575520 4907436
EGMNOW 86553799 4907404
:-)-: 86258259 4890095
JOE DOES COFFEE 86583752 4845874
86086669 4762774
GUESS THE EMOJI 86342684 4742444
MOTOCONS 86070904 4577566
BRAG YOÜ CONFIDENCE IS CONTAGIOUS ;) 86046353 4566865
85275306 4136798
SHARP SHIRTER, INC 85876681 4625632
85614068 4314714
VI:) 85530147 4202421
LOL 85031677 4690507
85592702 4262670
85760670 4360591
85760667 4360590
SLIDEKLOWD 85478175 4204930
85400833 4228770
85525344 4518233
MESSAGING 85764969 4426631
85626123 4467154
WE KNOW WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE :) 85573252 4237052
:)NSPIRE 85682098 4806263
:) FUEL 85898284 4544815

 

 

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