We have been asked what to do about recording a new applicant for a patent application that started in the PCT international phase but will be entering Japan. This may particularly take place after the original applicant(s) assign rights to…
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The Japan Diet’s Upper House passed laws regarding the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) revision (without the USA; often called “TPP-11”) on June 29, paving the way for the TPP-11 to affect trade and IP around the Pacific Rim. The Japanese…
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A while back, the “Ikinari! Steak” steak service patent was revoked. Now a patent that the JPO refused to invalidate in a challenge has gone up to the Supreme Court. On June 27, 2018, the Supreme Court concurred with the…
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The Japan Patent Office (JPO) has now published its initial edition of the Guide to Licensing Negotiations Involving Standard Essential Patents (issue date: June 5, 2018). This is a guide meant to help international and Japanese parties to arrange for…
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The Japanese Trademark Act has been revised as of May 30. The changes force all divisional trademark registration applications filed from June 9, 2018 to stem from a properly paid-for trademark registration application. Until this, the Trademark Act Article 10…
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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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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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