I was once involved in a government program to support regional projects that would make effective use of the intellectual properties of the universities in that region. We evaluated the business models and core technologies of the projects. Then, we often faced the problem that the patents on their core technologies are jointly owned by […]

“Do you think IPwe will facilitate the use of intellectual properties as collateral for financial institutions?” I was recently asked this question. In fact, the Japanese government has been promoting IP-based lending for several years. The government bears the cost of IP evaluation for financial institutions. However, at prsent, financial institutions don’t seem to regard […]

Disputes involving standard-essential patents (SEPs) have arisen in many countries around the world, and SEP disputes between different industries are expected to increase in the future. Therefore, the Japanese government (METI) has indicated the desirable actions to be taken by patent holders and implementers in SEP license negotiations (*1). Previously (2018), the Japan Patent Office […]

It is heartbreaking to see the tragic news about the Russia-Ukraine war every day. I hope that the war will end as soon as possible and peace will return to Ukraine. Disputes often arise in the business world as well. You can be involved in a dispute even if you do not want to be. […]

Just recently (October 2021), Nippon Steel surprised many by suing not only a Chinese steel company Baoshan Iron & Steel but also its customer, Toyota, for infringing its own patent rights on steel products (*1). Now, Nippon Steel has surprised us even more by suing Mitsui & Co (*2). This is because Mitsui & Co […]

A former Softbank employee is charged with violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act for illegally taking Softbank’s technical information to Rakuten Mobile, his new employer. It was the information on 5G, ultra-fast and high-capacity communication standard. The first trial was held at the Tokyo District Court on December 7. Reportedly, the former employee stated that […]

Algorithms are running everywhere in our lives. When Amazon recommends goods based on my purchase history, it won’t cause much of a problem. However, when it comes to personal credit score or store rating, it can have serious consequences depending on the score. In May of last year, a chain of Korean restaurants filed a […]

Do you want to promote the adoption of a new technology you developed? If so, we can introduce you to a new way to do so by using your patents. Our partner, IPwe, has started to operate a new patent pool called “Smart Pool”. This is a consortium in which innovation leaders who hold a […]

Vanarama, a British car leasing company, has created a concept design for the Apple Car based on Apple’s car-related patents. I don’t know if Apple will actually build such a car, but it is very interesting. The Apple Car – Vanarama Instead of just saying this is interesting, why don’t you seriously consider this kind […]

On November 3, Kyndryl was formally spun off from IBM and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The following link will take you to an interview with Martin Schroeter, CEO of Kyndryl. IBM spinoff Kyndryl begins trading: ‘We have now complete freedom of action,’ CEO says In this interview, Martin Schroeter uses the […]