The name and identity of Isetann Department Store in the Philippines was based on Isetan's, which prompted Isetan to file a petition through the Philippine Patent Office on November 28, 1980 to cancel the “Isetann Department Store” trademark registration. On November 15, 1991, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Philippine store, stating that the Japanese corporation failed to prove that “Isetan" was internationally well-known, and is therefore not protected in the Philippines. The court said that because the firm did not offer services marketed in the country, the Philippines-only “Isetann” would cause no conflict with the Japan and Singapore-only "Isetan".
