World Intellectual Property Day 2015

In 2000, April 26 was designated as the World Intellectual Property Day. Every year since 2001, a variety of events are held on this day to deepen people’s understanding of the role that intellectual property (IP) plays in promoting innovations. This year we celebrated the 15th anniversary with a theme of "Get up, Stand up. For music." under which music-related events were held all over the world including Geneva where the WIPO headquarters are located.

The JPO has developed a cooperative relationship with the WIPO through various initiatives and measures. Since 1987, the Japanese government has been providing voluntary contributions to the WIPO, with which "WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" was established. The Fund is used to finance various projects for WIPO member countries in holding of workshops, acceptance of trainees and long-term research students, dispatching of experts, and computerization of IP offices. In FY2008, the JPO has increased its contributions to establish a new fund for Africa in order to promote initiatives and measures for independent economic development by utilizing intellectual property in the region.

At the end of June this year, the Head of Intellectual Property Office Conference (HIPOC) will be organized by WIPO in cooperation of the JPO, inviting heads of 18 intellectual property offices in South Asia and Southeast Asia, which would be the first attempt of the kind conducted as the WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan project. At this conference, it is planned that heads of IP offices would share information, including IP-related pertinent matters and IP office management as well as contemporary issues on IP policies and practices, which would be expected to contribute to further advance the development of the intellectual property system in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

In Japan, non-traditional trademarks (motion mark, hologram mark, color per se mark, sound mark, and position mark) have started to be protected since April 1 this year. This enables users to file an international application for non-traditional trademark registration under the Madrid Agreement. Furthermore, since Japan acceded to the "Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning International Registration of Industrial Designs" in February this year, users can obtain protection in several countries, including Japan, by filing one application, as from May 13.

The WIPO Japan Office^* (WJO), which was established in Tokyo in 2006 and is currently headed by Mr. Yuji Okuma^**, Director of the WJO, conducts activities to promote awareness on services provided by the WIPO (Patent Cooperation Treaty, Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning International Registration of Industrial Designs, etc.). Besides, the WJO greatly contributes to smoothly implementing the WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan projects　that are carried out mainly in Japan. The JPO has been working in collaboration with the WJO in activities for raising awareness about WIPO services, and conducting WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan projects.

The JPO will continue to further strengthen cooperative relationship with the WIPO, contributing to developing and advancing the intellectual property in developing countries, etc., as well as promoting international harmonization of the intellectual property system.

^*WIPO Japan Office
http://www.wipo.int/about-wipo/en/offices/japan/ (External link)
For contact, please access to the following.
http://www.wipo.int/contact/en/area.jsp?area=wjo (External link)

^**Joined the Japan Patent Office in 1983, holding positions such as WIPO/PCT Operation Department Adviser, Director of Regional Policy Office of International Affairs Division, Director of Information Technology Planning Office of Information Systems Division, HRD Managing Supervisor of National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training Office (INPIT), Director of the 11th Board of Appeals.
 

[Last updated 22 May 2015]

Contact

Public Relations Office Policy Planning and Coordination Department Japan Patent Office E-mail:PA2700@jpo.go.jp