Chapter 1 of the 2017 Annual Report by the JPO does not surprise in too many ways.

While Asian countries are often seen as loose on copyright infringement, the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) is known for being strict...

Kawasaki City, an industrial core for the Tokyo metropolitan area, has been promoting wider licensing and use of patents released by big corporate owners, by small and medium-sized companies in Kawasaki.

Japan's Intellectual Property High Court's seventh chief judge, Makiko Takabe, was installed on May 5, 2018. Her inaugural greeting is now available on the IP High Court's website.

In Japan, an applicant may file a divisional patent application (in accordance with Patent Act Art. 44). This is possible from the filing of the application until prescribed deadlines.

In the past Keisen Associates reported on the war being waged against JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers) by music schools (for example, here and here).

There has been some guessing among patent commentators that the JPO will make it easier for small venture businesses to put their patent applications on the "Super Accelerated Examination" track, making First Action...

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" ...

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 Steak" steak service patent was revoked.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.

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).

The JPO recently issued the JPO Status Report 2017 (in Japanese and English) to give the public a better idea of how the JPO is working to improve its services. Commissioner Yoshinori Komiya...

As we say in Japan, "Even monkeys fall from trees." Even expert inventors, applicants, writers, and agents can make errors in their patent documents.

We are asked from time to time if a power of attorney (POA) is truly necessary when filing a case before the Japan Patent Office (JPO).

Japanese chemical giant Toray announced on December 19, 2018 that it is striking out at two competitors that it claims are violating its extended medical use patent for an anti-itch product...

Keisen Associates generally files an information disclosure (similar to the Information Disclosure Statement, or IDS, in United States patent applications) of known related prior art for Japan patent

Its IP department has commented that until recently it had focused merely on gaining many patents to defend its products against competitors.

Japan's Intellectual Property High Court's seventh chief judge, Makiko Takabe, was installed on May 5, 2018.

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a proposal from his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s Intellectual Property Strategy Investigation Committee on May 17

Japan is not an easy place to drive a car, but Mari Mobility Development Inc. has built a popular tourist-oriented business partly on its "MariCAR" go-cart tours.

News about intellectual property litigation comes at us frequently. Of these, the significant cases can dramatically alter the course of an enterprise, so firms may want to verify the facts about a reported litigation.