Litigation and Negotiation

The Results of the Japanese Patent Infringement Litigator Examination Show Low Passing Rate

The results of the Japanese IP Infringement Litigator Examination was announced on December 18, 2012 and revealed that only 136 applicants passed the examination, down by approximately 25% from the previous year. Until the admissions process for future litigators becomes less regulated, it is important to keep in mind the two types of patent attorneys in existence in Japan and make an informed choice in finding representation that is right for you.

Japanese Origami Artist Loses Copyright Battle With Japanese Television Station

In an unusual copyright infringement case involving origami, a Japanese origami artist sued a Tokyo network television broadcaster for allegedly reproducing the folding instructions of his original origami top on the company’s web site. The artist claimed the network infringed the artists’ copyright, but is an origami diagram a copyrightable subject matter?