Author: kazu

Episode 22 When a company is trying to build a brand image, it may be considered effective to be able to protect the background pattern on the surface of the product or the background pattern on the wrapping paper as a right. Regarding this, the Trademark Examination Guidelines of the Japan Patent Office, regarding the…

Episode 21 When a company formulates a brand strategy, the trade name and trademark are at the heart of it. A company’s name is its trade name (Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Companies Act). A trademark is a character, figure, symbol, etc. that is used in connection with goods or services (Article 2, Paragraph…

Episode 20 In recent years, the number of AI-related patent applications has increased, and the rate of patent grants has also risen (https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/patent/gaiyo/sesaku/ai/document/ai_shutsugan_chosa/hokoku.pdf).The Japan Patent Office has published a total of 25 AI-related cases in Annexes A and B of the Patent and Utility Model Examination Handbook (https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/laws/rule/guideline/patent/document/ai_jirei/jirei.pdf).By the way, AI-related inventions are one type…

Episode 19 A request for examination of a patent application can be made within three years from the filing date (Patent Law, Article 48-3, Paragraph 1), and if no request for examination is made within that period, the patent application is deemed to be withdrawn (Patent Law, Article 4, Paragraph 4). When one year and…

Episode 18 It is possible to apply for design registration for three-dimensional shapes, and it is also possible to apply for registration as a three-dimensional trademark. Since design rights are creations resulting from human mental activity, registration requires novelty and creatability, and the term of the right is limited (25 years from the application date).…