The Japan Patent Office (JPO) began to accept online submission of priority documents for Design registrations from January 1, 2020. This makes filing of Design applications (in addition to patent applications) from abroad into Japan simpler (though note our warnings…
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We reported last year that the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) was considering enacting measures against export of genetic resources for wagyu (Japanese breeds of beef cattle). Now, it has made news that such a proposal has…
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Japan does not have a “fair use” doctrine such as is employed by the United States regarding using copyrighted materials for nonprofit, educational purposes. However, its Copyright Act has been revised and its new provisions are going into effect in…
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* Original: March 20, 2020. Update: April 7, 2020. Interviews with examiners are a vital tool during patent prosecution in Japan–able to make the difference between moving toward allowance and receiving a rejection. They have not always, however, been easily…
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March 10, 2020 marked the implementation of revised rules that allow for new Japanese patents in any field to be given extensions in protection, if they are allowed and registered unduly late. New filers may want to keep this change…
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The Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (JPO), Matsunaga Akira, gave the annual New Year’s greeting online. In it, he presents a pressing (if in some ways, late) call for Japan to press into more information-based innovation and how the…
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Japanese beef cows (wagyu) are world-renowned for the care that goes into the nurture of the animals as they head for the table. Massages, beer drinking, and other practices make the meat exceptionally tender and widely favored. However, after a…
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The Japan Patent Office (JPO) has instituted new policies for Design applications. The changes apply to applications filed on or after May 1, 2019. These changes tend to simplify the procedures for applicants. Looser requirements for submission of design diagrams…
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Earlier this year Professor Tasuku Honjo, Nobel Laureate, publicly criticized his development partner Ono Pharmaceuticals, claiming their renumeration (2.6 billion yen, about US$24 million) was far below what he and other researchers should receive, considering the value of the programmed…
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The Prime Minister’s Office issued an Plan for Promoting Intellectual Property 2019 in June 2019. This Plan lays out various principles around which the government apparently hopes to rally businesses in a new direction, away from strict guarding of IP…
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