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Home> About JPO> Commissioner's Message> Inaugural Address – ONO Yota, JPO Commissioner

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Inaugural Address – ONO Yota, JPO Commissioner

As of July 1, 2024, I have been appointed as Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (JPO).

For the first time in 30 years, the Japanese economy is experiencing a ‘tidal shift’ with increased domestic investment and higher wages. To further drive this momentum, innovation has become ever more important. The Japan Patent Office is a governmental agency in charge of protecting and promoting the utilization of intellectual property, the driving force behind innovation. I am humbled by the gravity of my responsibility, but with your cooperation, we will work to implement effective policies and measures.

First, we are working to instill and establish the idea of ‘IP management’ which encourages strategic investment in and utilization of intellectual property. In the revised Act on Strengthening Industrial Competitiveness promulgated in June of this year, services providing IP support to SMEs and start-ups, and support for companies and universities practicing open-and-close strategies were added to the duties of the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (INPIT). We will further cooperate with patent attorneys and other intellectual property experts to ensure the successful implementation of the Act.

In addition, we are strengthening the cooperation of IP business management Support Network, which was jointly launched in March last year by four parties, namely the Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA), the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), the INPIT, and the JPO. In this fiscal year, a project to create model regions for business IP management support has been started and we continue to support the promotion of the use of IP by regional enterprises.

Next, we need to address the use of generative AI and cross-border IT-related inventions. The IP system must adapt to the rapid changes taking place in the economy and society, such as the development of digital technologies. The JPO will continue to identify and deliberate the issues in this regard.

In the meanwhile, the System for Non-disclosure of Patent Applications was introduced in May this year under the Economic Security Promotion Act. We will ensure the implementation of this new system by working with relevant ministries and agencies, paying attention to the perspective of balancing our country’s economic activities and the promotion of innovation with national security.

Furthermore, the JPO will exhibit at the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansa, Japan next year, where it will strongly promote the importance and the role of IP systems in resolving social issues. The exhibition will include the showcasing of ideas for promoting the use of IP.

In order to contribute to the establishment of an international environment for the appropriate protection and utilization of IP, we will vigorously promote cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and overseas IP Offices, while also supporting IP Offices in emerging and developing countries.

Even as we steadily strive to implement the above policies and measures, we are also committed to promoting the digital transformation of our service operations to maintain the world’s fastest and utmost quality in our patent and other examinations.

I greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this regard, and, in closing, I sincerely wish you all good health and happiness.

ONO Yota,
JPO Commissioner

[Last updated 9 August 2024]