As new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchains continue to emerge, world industry is experiencing the kind of major transformation that occurs only once every century. Even in this time of change, the Japan Patent Oice continues to push the boundaries of our intellectual property system and its operation to meet the needs of users both at home and abroad. One challenge in dealing with new technologies is to address standard essential patents (SEPs), those patents needed to implement standard specifications. With the spread of IoT, SEP licensing negotiations are now being conducted not just within the information and communication technology (ICT) industry but between ICT and other industries, making it much more diicult to resolve issues through cross-licensing. To facilitate SEP licensing negotiations, the JPO analyzed case law and guidelines relevant to SEP in major countries to identify those elements requiring consideration in negotiations, publishing the results in June 2018 in a document entitled Guide to Licensing Negotiations involving Standard Essential Patents. We will continue to update it to ensure that it remains a “living” guide. An intellectual property rights system is meaningless if, even when a patentee has their rights infringed, the system does not provide for a prompt and eective response and the patentee just gives up in frustration. The bill was submitted to amend the Patent Act related to strengthen the IP litigation system to ensure solid protection through IP rights for the fruit of users’ hard-won innovation.Japan’s design system too must evolve in response to new technologies and needs. The only graphic images protected under the current system are those recorded or displayed on articles. There is no protection for graphic images projected on to walls or put up on the Internet, for example. With not only functionality but also aesthetics now considered to play a key role, there is also a growing need to protect store designs and designs based on a consistent concept. The bill was submitted to amend the Design Act to extend protection to these new designs. The harmonization of IP systems as well as the operation thereof is essential in dealing with global business activity and new technologies. This year, the JPO is chairing both the ID5 (Industrial Design 5) and TM5 (Five Trademark Oices) Meetings, and I look forward to discussion there on responses to social and technological changes. The WIPO/Japan Funds-in-Trust (Japan FIT/IP), a scheme whereby Japan has supported the development of IP systems primarily in Asia and Africa, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Recognizing that the IP environment in the countries that we have traditionally assisted has also changed over the years, even as we continue to cooperate with IP oices in evolving their systems and developing human resources, we will extend the scope and content of the Japan FIT/IP to ensure that it meets the needs of a new era.With the pace of change in our own environment showing no signs of slowing down, the JPO too must change. One challenge that faces us in terms of tailoring the IP system to make it attractive to users is to introduce a design management aspect into JPO operations so that we can shape administrative services from a user perspective. To that end, we created the post of Chief Design Oicer within the JPO in August 2018, equipped with a design management project team. We will continue to draft measures quickly based on user voices, discuss them and translate them equally quickly into action, then continue to review and update them as time goes by. The Japan Patent Oice Status Report 2019 is designed to introduce these initiatives along with statistical information on intellectual property to domestic and intellectual users. We look forward to continuing to improve JPO services in response to your feedback. Message from the Commissioner長官挨拶Naoko MunakataCommissionerJapan Patent Oice10
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