NewJeans Trademark Application for “NJZ” Accepted, Filed 1 Day before Rebrand
On February 6, the day before NewJeans publicly declared their new activity name “NJZ” via SNS on February 7, the members filed trademark applications for two types of “NJZ” logos and one NJZ symbol, covering 10 different product categories.
The trademark applicants are the five NewJeans members, and the filing was handled by Shin & Kim LLC, which is currently representing the members in their legal dispute.
The 10 product categories for which NewJeans filed the “NJZ” trademark include: CDs and CD sales services, clothing, mats, lighting equipment, leather products, fragrances, fruit-based beverages, furniture and more. In particular, mats are a familiar merchandise item in K-pop fandoms, often sold as cushions, while lighting equipment is believed to reference a potential light stick.
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) trademark search service, the official filing date for all NJZ trademarks is listed as February 6—exactly one day before NewJeans publicly declared their rebranding to NJZ. Shin & Kim LLC handled these trademark applications. NewJeans members had already appointed Shin & Kim LLC as their legal representative in January.
It has also been confirmed that the current trademark application has been accepted by the Patent Office as meeting the requirements for recognition of the application date, but an examiner has not been assigned.
Coinciding with their upcoming performance in Hong Kong, NewJeans is set to launch official “NJZ” merchandise, using the trademarked NJZ symbol. The first NJZ merchandise will be a set of six keyrings, a popular item among younger generations. Pricing details have not yet been disclosed.
These “NJZ goods” are the first independent merchandise products released by the five NewJeans members without agreement from ADOR. The merchandise will be available at ComplexCon, an omnibus concert taking place on March 23 in Hong Kong, where NewJeans will perform under the name NJZ.
Meanwhile, the legal battle between NewJeans and ADOR is ongoing. ADOR filed an injunction to prohibit the group from carrying out independent activities and preserve the agency’s contractual rights over them. Initially, ADOR sought an injunction to block the members from signing advertising contracts. However, after NewJeans officially adopted NJZ and began paid performance activities, ADOR expanded its injunction request to ban all entertainment-related activities under the NJZ name.
On March 14, the court concluded its hearing on the legal dispute between ADOR and NewJeans. Legal experts predict that the court’s decision on the injunction could be made as early as this week.