Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan has initiated legal action to secure the trademark rights for the premium grape variety 'Ruby Roman', which was developed by the prefecture in 2007 and registered with the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The controversy arose when the rights were granted to an individual in Korea, despite the opportunity to register the variety in other countries within the six years of its launch, as per the International Treaty on the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The situation has led to the cancellation of the trademark registration and a request for cancellation of the variety name 'Ruby Roman' in Korea, involving discussions on the impact on domestic farmers and the potential for the prefecture to re-register the trademark. The outcome remains uncertain, highlighting the complexities and nuances surrounding the protection and registration of new plant varieties across borders.