The Japan Patent Office (JPO) announced on June 6 that it has begun to make available its multi-category classifications for patent inventions directed toward Internet of Things (IoT) technology in various sectors. This is to enable more precise searching and…
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There has been some guessing among patent commentators that the Japan Patent Office (JPO) will make it easier for small venture businesses to put their patent applications on the “Super Accelerated Examination” (Super souki shinsa) track, making First Action pendency…
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Applicants may want to file an Amendment to a Japanese patent application for a variety of reasons. However, it is important to be aware of the deadline when an amendment has to reach the Japan Patent Office (JPO). By when…
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Imabari City and the Imabari Towel Industrial Association (ITIA) of Ehime Prefecture in western Japan filed an opposition with the Chinese Trade Marks Bureau on May 25, 2018, after they found a Shanghai company had been allowed a trademark for…
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Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a proposal from his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s Intellectual Property Strategy Investigation Committee on May 17. The Committee argued for an infrastructure that would enable universities’ research to reach and be invested in by…
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Over the past several months, a debate over a website hosting free (pirated) manga (Japanese comic) content, Mangamura (“Manga Village”) and similar sites. This debate moved from verbal arguments to pressures to close down the entire website, and after a…
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Japan’s Intellectual Property High Court’s seventh chief judge, Makiko Takabe, was installed on May 5, 2018. Her inaugural greeting is now available on the IP High Court’s website. She has had a long career in the justice system in Japan,…
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Takeda Pharmaceuticals, ranked in the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in the world in sales, is seeking to grow its technological base with a merger by a $64 billion purchase of Ireland’s Shire. Shire has until May 8 to answer Takeda’s…
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Kikkoman Corporation, a major producer of soy sauce in Japan, succeeded with its trademark application for its well-known sauce dispensing bottle. The JPO registered it as Trademark No. 6031041 on March 30, 2018. The dispenser is easily recognized by its…
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* This is based in part on our earlier article “Power of Attorney Submission in Japan.” “I was told by another Japanese patent law firm I don’t need to submit a POA … Why do you require one?” We are…
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