* See a further update on this issue from December 3, 2020. As many cases of plant varieties developed in Japan being sold to producers in other countries and exploited have arisen (see on past governmental plans and a case…
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The Japanese Design Act was revised in 2019, and going into effect on April 1, 2020, graphic images, building exterior, and interior designs (the last one including arrangement of items within spaces–if a unified, aesthetic effect resulted) may be registered….
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Last year, the Korean courts allowed seizure of 6 patent and 2 trademark rights in the Republic of Korea, to enforce reparation by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the wartime enslavement of Koreans for their workforce. Media reported on October 29…
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In the wake of Brexit, the United Kingdom and Japan have concluded a new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that covers cooperation and fair treatment for each other’s intellectual property. The agreement, signed on October 23, 2020, replaces for dealings between…
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In Germany, car manufacturer Daimler AG (maker of Mercedes-Benz) suffered an IP loss at court on September 10, 2020. It was handed a decision by a Munich court that it was infringing upon mobile technology of Japan’s Sharp in its…
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The European Patent Office and International Energy Agency issued a report on September 22, 2020, to outline the world’s pursuit of better battery technology. It notes that for the sake of environmentally sustainable energy use and mobility, battery technology is…
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The Republic of Korea (South Korea) has been pushing for “independence” from Japan’s economic and technological influence, partly as a nationalist response to Japan’s stiff response to calls for repentance over alleged war crimes leading up to the end of…
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Panasonic Corporation, a major appliance company, announced it would host an online collaborative project informational meeting on September 14, 2020. Its goal is to find collaborative partners to develop and utilize some of its own technologies. Panasonic is working with…
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Japanese is notoriously difficult to learn, and translation can be challenging. Machine translations understandably end up pretty bad sometimes. Did you know that the Japan Patent Office (JPO) tries to answer this challenge by selecting intellectual property-related court decisions that…
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Udon (ooh-dohn), thick white wheat noodles, are a popular food in Western Japan, particularly in Kagawa Prefecture. There, firm udon noodles of the “Sanuki” area attract aficionados to “pilgrimages” of the famous udon shops. This relatively rural part of Japan…
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