Major food company Meiji announced Tuesday that it has successfully blocked the import of counterfeit earphones designed to mimic its popular Kinoko no Yama chocolate snack.
The original mushroom-shaped wireless earphones, a quirky iteration of the famous sweet treat, debuted on March 26 in an X (formerly known as Twitter) collaboration with creator Michiru. Priced at ¥29,800, the limited run of 3,500 units sold out on release day.
Beyond their unique design, the earphones also boasted a real-time translation feature, supporting 144 languages.
However, knockoffs sporting the Meiji and Kinoko no Yama branding quickly surfaced on e-commerce platforms, both in Japan and overseas. Meiji pointed out that these counterfeits not only lacked certification and translation capabilities, but also deviated in appearance from the original earphones.
After realizing that there were fakes circulating, Meiji took action. The company filed a petition with customs authorities, successfully halting the import of existing counterfeit products in June. Earlier in March, Meiji had also reached an agreement with a manufacturer producing the fake goods, halting production.
First registered as a trademark in 1978, Kinoko no Yama’s distinctive shape gained a three-dimensional trademark in 2018, a rare case for food products.
“The shape of Kinoko no Yama is its identity,” a Meiji spokesperson said. “Protecting its value is crucial as we expand our brand globally.”
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