ZEON Corporation (President: Katsuhiko Nakano) demanded that Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Haruki Tomonoh) cease using the trade name "Eartheon," which had been employed by Kokusai Kogyo since October 1, 1997, based on the strong possibility of misidentification and confusion with the main component of ZEON's corporate name (as rendered in Japanese pronunciation).

Following appeals, the Tokyo District Court on December 28, 1999, ruled in favor of ZEON's claim, with the exception of the amount of damages to be awarded. The formal decision (1998 (wa) No.28675) is provided below.