The dates on this trademark are a bit odd. It claims that the 3.3.3. logo (dig those groovy full stops!) was first used by Shimano in 1962, which is clearly not correct. It then refers to a Japanese registration with a date in 1954 (long before the date of first use ?!?).

Despite all this, the date that may well be correct is for the use ‘in commerce’ - 1962. This indicates that this was the first date that Shimano products were imported into the US bearing this logo. 1962 is therefore very likely to be ‘year zero’ in Shimano’s conquest of the USA.

The company name, Shimano Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, looks interesting, exotic and alliterative, but may mean something prosaic like Shimano Industries Joint Stock Company.

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• Publisher: US Patent and Trademark Office
• Inventor: Shimano Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Country: USA
• Date: First use December 1962
• Derailleur brands: Shimano
• Derailleurs: nothing specific