Major Japanese movie companies, such as Toho, Shochiku and Toei (plaintiff), filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against three uploaders (defendants) who edited the full-length version of the original movie and uploaded it without the permission of the copyright holders. On August 24, 2023, the T

On November 29, 2023, the Japanese subsidiary biopharmaceutical corporation, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), announced that the Tokyo District Court issued a preliminary injunction order against Sawai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a Japanese generic drug manufacturer, that prohibits sales and manufacture of

Trends in patent infringement litigation disposed of by the Tokyo District Court (TDC) and Osaka District Court (ODC) between 2014 and 2022Under Japanese judicial procedures, the first instance of patent infringement litigation is the TDC or ODC.  According to statistics released by the IP High Cour

The Intellectual Property High Court (IPHC) judged on July 19, 2023 that a trademark registration of “GUZZILLA” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6143667, as shown below) owned by a Japanese construction machinery component manufacturer, Taguchi Industrial Co. Ltd. (Appellant), could cause confus

Key NumbersThe number of patent applications slightly declined while the numbers of requests for examination and registrations remain unchanged.The number and ratio of patent applications from foreign countries are as follows.The number of requests for appeal against an Examiner’s decision of refusa

OutlineOn May 26, 2023, the Intellectual Property High Court (IPHC) made a landmark decision that finds patent infringement on an internet-related invention beyond a national border.  In the lawsuit, DWANGO Co., Ltd., a Japanese web service company of which one of the major services is a video distr

In this Issue- 3.8 Million USD in Copyright Infringement Damages for “Fast Movies”- Supreme Court Decision: Does Patent Enforcement Cast Off the Stigma of Abuse of Right?- Recent Trends in Business-Related Inventions- Deep Learning Accounts for Approximately Half of AI-Related Inventions Filed at th

In this Issue- Music School Student Performances Not Subject to Copyright Fees- Customs Act Prohibits Import of Private Use Counterfeit Products- Japanese Car Makers Enter Connected Car License Agreement- Panasonic First in Japan to Join Low-Carbon Patent Pledge- Infringement Found in Action via Ove

In this Issue- Establishment of Guidelines for License Negotiations for Standard Essential Patents- New Guidelines for Co-Ownership of Patents- WIPO Report: Toyota has Most Active Patents related to Hydrogen Fuel Cells in Transportation- JPO Studying Easing of Registration Requirements of Name Trade

In this Issue- Japan Likely to Consider Secret Patent Non-Disclosure System- Mitsubishi Electric Discloses Their Technology Assets Online Aiming for "Co-Creation" with Other Companies- Nippon Steel Files Patent Infringement Litigation against Toyota and others over Electromagnetic Steel Sheets- Pate

In this Issue- Three Signature Patterns of Costumes in “Demon Slayer” Registered as Trademarks in Japan- Patent Litigation over Smartphone Game Reaches Settlement for 29 Million Dollars (Nintendo vs. Colopl)- Release of Case Examples of Design Registrations of Related Designs Pertaining to “Partial

In this Issue- Bill for Revisions to Japanese Patent Law Approved- Good News for Patentees! Obtaining Consent from Non-Exclusive Licensees will No Longer be Required- Amicus Curiae Brief System to be Introduced- JPO Technical Trend Report: Self-Driving and MaaS