The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) is known for being strict, even (some would say) overbearing with those who perform music that is covered by their copyrighting policies. JASRAC recently announced plans to charge 2.5%…
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Missed the first deadline for an Office Action response? Since the Revision to Japanese Patent Law effective from April 2016, the JPO has modified rules for extending the deadline for responding to Pre-Appeal Office Actions*, both minor and major. Of…
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Q. I have ready a Japanese translation for my application; can I have Keisen submit the translation as it is? A. In short, No. Generally speaking, a translation provided by an applicant cannot be filed as it is in Japan…
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The Japan Patent Office (JPO) continues to expand its Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) network with pilot programs initiated with the National Institutes of Industrial Property (INPI) of Brazil and Argentina, respectively, from April 1, 2017. The JPO plans to start…
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* Changes to the Patent Act of Japan, going into effect from April 1, 2023, make this article outdated for patent deadlines on or after that date. Please see our news article here for more information. When a patent application…
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* Changes to the Patent Act of Japan, going into effect from April 1, 2023, make this article outdated for patent deadlines on or after that date. Please see our news article here for more information. Is it possible to…
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Patent applications have to be filed before a prior art disclosure in Japan. But what if the disclosure is the inventor’s own? Can he or she lose novelty by that self-disclosure? What If I Disclose My Invention Before Applying for…
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Presiding Judge Misao Shimizu of Japan’s Intellectual Property High Court became its sixth presiding Chief Judge in January 2017. The Hon. Shimizu’s Inaugural Remarks are available on the IP High Court’s website.[1] Japan instituted the IP High Court, connected to…
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The options and implications for post-issuance/grant proceedings and oppositions in Japan can be complicated, and you will need to take various factors into consideration. Our presentation gives you background and ideas for protecting or challenging issued patents. We would be…
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Taro Yaguchi, Senior Partner at Keisen Associates, successfully defended the Japanese distributor of a US GPS navigation products producer before the Tokyo District Court, against claims of patent infringement asserted by a Japanese competitor. The Tokyo District Court dismissed the…
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