Intellectual property right (IPR) protection in Japan has been strengthened in the past decade through proposed pro-patent policies. The intended effect behind these policies is to bolster Japan’s sluggish economy and increase its global competitiveness. Two amendments enforced in the…
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Three Years after the Regional Collective Trademark Law went into effect, the system is still not well known among foreign business associations. The Japan Patent Office announced in February, 2009, that 873 regional marks were registered since the law went…
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Severe economic downturn in Japan has recently spurred the Government to set up an emergency examination fee postponement plan. Effective April 1, 2009, applicants filing a request for an examination will receive a one-year extension for payments of the official…
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On November 8, 2007, the Japanese Supreme Court upheld Canon’s assertion that the import and sale of Canon’s used ink cartridges by the third-party ink seller, Recycle Assist, did indeed infringe on Canon’s patent. This is the second time the…
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