Specialized Committees, Working Groups, and Research Groups

The slogan of this committee is “Human Resources are the source of all power.”

• Enhancement of training programs that satisfy both member companies and trainees (Implementation of training that only JIPA can provide)
• Further human resource development of each and every member of the committee (Growth of committee members as assets to member companies) The Committee will focus on “expansion of the target audience” and “expansion of training areas” with the above items as its goals.

The mission of the Committee is to provide highly satisfactory information to member companies through JIPA’s official journal, “Intellectual Property Management” and “JIPA Quarterly”. This fiscal year, the Committee dispatched overseas for the first time as a committee in April for the purpose of interviewing the Director General of the USPTO, among others. In addition, the Committee will make new efforts such as presentations at the division’s monthly meetings , and will study ways to strengthen the public relations function in cooperation with the JIPA secretariat.
Through these activities, we intend to promote committee activities that will lead to the growth of the committee members themselves and help them and their companies realize the value of the committee, while actively promoting the attractiveness of the committee.

Under the activity policy of “Valancing enjoyment and results,” for the first time in four years, the Committee will develop its activities mainly through face-to-face meetings. We hope that the members of the committee will bring back the expected results (knowledge, experience, human network, etc.) through friendly competition with their colleagues in the intellectual property industry, while working on research themes related to the patent system (international harmonization and trends) and requirements for patentability (description requirements and inventive step). Rather than “reverting back to the pre-Corona days,” we hope that the committee members will experience the “joy of JIPA activities” more than before, while creating a “new style of activity” utilizing web conferencing and other means.

The Committee conducts research on “various issues after the grant of patents (invalidation/revocation trials, litigation). The Committee will conduct committee meetings and other group exchanges (bar associations and courts) through hybrid meetings to provide substantial discussion opportunities for many committee members. In addition, we will review work and communication methods other than theme review in order to reduce the workload and promote concentration of resources on discussions.
We will work to make this committee a “serious and fun committee” that will have a more positive impact on the committee members and the intellectual property industry as a whole.

The Committee will conduct research, make recommendations and proposals (e.g., in response to public consultation), and disseminate information (e.g., by writing foreign patent news), particularly with respect to intellectual property in the United States. We aim to build an organization that can sustain its activities at a high level for multiple years. For example, through the participation of WG leaders in committee management and the division of roles and responsibilities among committee members by making various activities into WGs, etc., we raise awareness of participation in JIPA activities and provide experience that will lead to activities in the following years and beyond, while distributing the burden to only certain committee members through the division of roles.

The Committee’s activity policy for the current fiscal year is as follows:

• Contribute to JIPA member companies by building a good relationship with the EPO and WIPO as a representative of Japanese IP user organizations.
• To develop globally active IP professionals who can disseminate information domestically and internationally through the sharing of experience and knowledge and research activities of each committee member.

Many external activities are planned for this year, and we hope that many members will experience them.

The Committee’s main activities are research and study on patents mainly in China, Korea and Taiwan, and external activities. The Committee conducts research on themes that incorporate the practical interests of the Committee members, using JIPA’s unique approach, such as by conducting surveys of member companies. The external activities of the Committee include, for example, the dissemination of opinions in response to the call for public comments, which plays a part in the reform of the IP system from the standpoint of those who use the system to one that is easier to use. Through these committee activities, our mission is to improve the knowledge of the committee members and to provide feedback to the IP activities of the member companies.

This year, the Committee plans to conduct research focusing on India and ASEAN, where the movemnt of Digital Transformation and patent law revision are active. With the motto of “Enjoy and learn as much as you can,” the committee will actively work together with JETRO, JPO, and other external organizations to send members abroad, while aiming to both sendt signs of new movement and develop global human resources through a team effort. The following are candidates for specific themes of this year’s research.

• Research and study on points to keep in mind in order to build better relationships with local law firms in ASEAN
• Elucidation of patent prosecution strategies of unicorn companies in India that are leading the web 3.0 era by making full use of IP landscape method in Japan .

The Committee consists of four subcommittees. This year, the Committee will focus on the following activities:

• Intellectual property research on near-future pharmaceutical and biotechnological fields with the aim of developing a treatise on the subject
• Research on court decisions and precedents in the field of life sciences, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and diagnostics.

The Committee will also continue to provide opinions on international IP systems in the life science field.
In the post-Corona disaster period, we hope to have a year of more active committee activities, including exchange of opinions with the Japan Patent Office and the Japan Patent Attorneys Association.

The Committee will continue to focus on research and study on technologies related to metaverse and virtualization, as well as data regulations as typified by China and Europe, as these are topical topics and closely related to software. The Committee will also keep an eye on important cases and legal systems, such as the Dwango v. FC2 case, and will continue to work with an emphasis on going back to the basics of precedents and legal systems.

The Committee will study and research trends in copyright law systems in Japan and abroad, study and research the impact of new technologies, etc., and study and implement copyright education and awareness activities to carry out the following activities.

• Activities to promote the growth of committee members
• Provision of useful information and deliverables to companies belonging to committee members and JIPA members
• Proposals for improvement of the copyright law system

The Committee’s two subcommittees work together to gain meaningful knowledge, experience, and personal connections . The Committee’s mission is to make recommendations on policy issues to improve Japan’s industrial competitiveness and to disseminate practical information on IP management to promote corporate IP management through surveys and research on other companies and different industries.
This year, the Committee will focus its research on eight themes with the keywords of “game change,” “recurring business,” “physical x digital,” “data co-creation,” “IP ecosystem construction,” “IP investment and utilization,” “ESG management structure,” and “employment diversification,” and aims to disseminate them as editorials. We aim to publish them as an editorial.

The Committee will conduct a full range of committee activities that will be both enjoyable and successful. The Committee will work on the following four research themes:

• Utilization of IP information systems and data provided by IP Offices of various countries
• Utilization of data accumulated in IP management systems
• IP research systems and related issues
• Improving efficiency of IP operations (including RPA)

The Committee conducts research and surveys to explore the ideal state of management and intellectual property from the perspective of information utilization. The Committee aims to maximize the results of the following timely and relevant research topics through the cooperation of its members.

• Research on supply chain analysis methods for “IPL that can impress the results of its analysis on management
• Research on appropriate information resources for visualization of corporate intellectual assets
• Research on visualization methods for patent portfolio analysis
• Research on utilization methods through additional analysis of patent application technology trend surveys

In its research and study on standardization, the Committee will identify issues from a corporate perspective through the IPR policies of representative standardization organizations and standardization case studies, and summarize points to keep in mind when applying standardization strategies to member companies’ businesses. In addition, the Committee plans to examine effective methods of linking corporate management indicators and M&As and alliances with other companies with the evaluation of intellectual property and intangible assets in its research and study on corporate management (CGC, ESG, SDGs, KPI) and on the evaluation of corporate and business value focusing on intellectual property.

In its research and study on data (AI, utilization of data), the Committee identifies and organizes problems related to the handling of data, including AI, which is developing at a dizzying pace in recent years, and examines solutions, and formulates practical measures in individual cases.
In addition, the Committee plans to study practical issues and their solutions, taking into consideration issues related to the innovation ecosystem including university startups, and collaboration between industry-academia organizations as represented by comprehensive collaboration/”crown labs“(AIST’s system of partner laboratories named after partner companies), while referring to recently established guidelines in its research and study on industry-academia collaboration.

The Committee will hold monthly get-togethers and training camps to improve communication within the Committee and conduct free and vigorous discussions without restraint through good communication. In addition, the Committee will actively promote exchanges with external parties and hold seminars with a view to future development of design protection activities and an increase in the number of JIPA member companies. No design no business　! No design no life !

The JIPA Trademark Committee will continue to actively dispatch committee members and provide opinions in the current fiscal year, building on the momentum of the previous fiscal year when the Committee enhanced its presence by actively dispatching members to various meetings and workshops, including the Working Group on Madrid System in WIPO and the Trademark Meeting of the Five Trademark Offices (TM5). In addition, the Committee will prepare and present results that contribute to practical business through studies and discussions based on the unique viewpoints of users in the research themes of the Committee’s WG group activities.

The Committee will formulate indicators for confidential information management activities and organize measures considered legally “necessary” and “optional” for trade secret protection on a country-by-country basis by comparing them with trade secret protection laws and regulations in Asian countries. In addition, the Committee will research and study data-related legal systems and guidelines in Asia, particularly China, and examine effective data utilization in corporate practice, as well as study proposals for a well-balanced framework in cooperation with the Data Strategy Team.
In addition, the Committee will conduct research on domestic and international regulations on abuse of superior bargaining position and consider practical and reasonable recommendations on the attribution and use of intellectual property from the unique perspective of an expert committee.

From the users’ perspective, this committee submits opinions on institutional reforms in the Asian region and primarily examines measures against counterfeit and pirated goods. Through these efforts, it contributes to the promotion of intellectual property protection and, by supporting Asian countries, aims to realize systems that are more accessible and user-friendly.

The purpose of this committee is to contribute to member companies’ utilization of AI by swiftly identifying issues related to the use of AI in intellectual property practice and proposing solutions, as well as by organizing intellectual property issues associated with AI and their relationship with existing legal frameworks, collecting and disseminating information on new legal systems, and making policy proposals.

The Services and Content Committee was newly established as an expansion of the Service Industry Study Group, serving as a committee that researches experiential value as well as intellectual property and intangible assets based on various business models in this field.
The committee is composed of members from companies belonging to the services and content sectors, as well as companies from other fields that are working on the shift from products to experiences and on enhancing user experience (UX), and that wish to deepen their knowledge of the services and content domain.

With the aim of harmonizing global intellectual property systems, this committee actively participates in discussions with user organizations in other countries as well as patent offices in Japan and abroad from the perspective of global users. Based on a balance that prioritizes the interests of members, it proposes user-friendly system designs and works toward achieving institutional harmonization.

This committee explores the ideal framework for next-generation content policy, clarifies the issues and needs of current content policies, and engages in discussions with and disseminates its views to relevant authorities such as the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

In response to the current situation of Chinese companies that are actively engaged in robust economic and intellectual property policies, this initiative aims to organize Japan–China Corporate Collaboration Meetings jointly with Chinese government-affiliated organizations. Through direct discussions with Chinese companies, it seeks to accurately grasp the rapidly changing environment and policies in China, as well as to gain insights into Chinese companies’ intellectual property strategies and activities. By doing so, it aims to create an environment in which member companies can smoothly conduct business in the Chinese market. In addition, it strives to maintain and enhance its role as a platform for dialogue between Japanese and Chinese companies.

This committee seeks to deepen discussions on the SDGs and aims to contribute to the achievement of the 17 goals through technology and intellectual property. Initially focusing on the fields of climate change and energy, it promotes the dissemination of and collaboration on member companies’ environmental technologies through WIPO GREEN.

As an organization within JIPA that continuously examines open innovation (OI) across industries, this initiative aims to invigorate and promote OI from an intellectual property perspective. It considers and proposes strategies and concrete implementation measures to this end, with the goal of contributing to the enhancement of Japan’s competitiveness.

This committee engages in activities, including external collaboration, to promote DE&I by disseminating information on the current state and challenges of DE&I in the intellectual property field, and by creating opportunities for member companies to discuss and reflect together on DE&I within the IP domain.

Through activities such as issuing opinions and recommendations, this initiative supports the creation of a “safe, secure, and fair data business environment” by promoting appropriate data use and ensuring reliability, while respecting data confidentiality and the protection of rights.

As the “SEP Future Think Tank,” this group aims to collect a wide range of opinions within JIPA, identify points of agreement and divergence through opinion exchange, and, when the time is ripe, issue policy statements as part of its activities.

The Intellectual Property Issues Study Group is held with the aim of fostering interaction among participants across industry boundaries, as well as enabling the mutual exchange of information and opinions on various intellectual property issues from diverse perspectives, and promoting mutual learning.
Accordingly, we welcome participation from a wide range of individuals regardless of their years of practical experience in intellectual property or prior involvement in association activities, and we hope that participation will also help deepen understanding of the Association’s activities.

This study group aims to identify, share, and discuss the challenges faced in intellectual property activities that are unique to companies with a small number of IP department staff, and to promote mutual exchange, skill development, awareness, and information sharing among members. In principle, the activities are intended for members whose IP departments consist of 10 or fewer personnel.
This study group is structured as follows:

1. “General Meetings”: One-day meetings (groups are formed each time based on the selected themes)
2. “Monthly Working Groups”: Voluntary activities by interested members who meet approximately once a month to conduct ongoing research throughout the year (participants are recruited at the beginning of the fiscal year, and groups are formed by theme)