We are pleased to announce that the Supreme Court of Japan, the Intellectual Property High Court, the Ministry of Justice, the Japan Patent Office, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, and the IP Lawyers Network will co-host the Judicial Symposium on Intellectual Property TOKYO 2024 (JSIP2024): IP Dispute Resolution in Japan, the United States and Europe.

Judges, attorneys-at-law, and administrative judges from Japan, the US, the UK, and Europe will participate in the eighth JSIP symposium. In the same manner as last year, the symposium will be available both at the venue and by live streaming on the Internet.

On the first day of the program, which will be hosted by the Intellectual Property High Court, distinguished judges and attorneys-at-law who are currently active in the field of intellectual property from the US, the UK and the Unified Patent Court will be on stage. Firstly, Japanese judges and attorneys-at-law will conduct a mock trial introducing proceedings in Japan based on a simulated patent infringement case. Next, in the same manner as last year, mock trials of the patent infringement case will be held by participants from other countries.

The mock trials will be followed by a panel discussion with Japanese judges and attorneys-at-law, as well as participating judges and attorneys-at-law from overseas. The theme of the panel discussion will be the Examination of Patent Validity in Court, and it will refer to materials from the mock trials. During the discussion, the framework for determining patent validity in various countries and how proceedings are held will be compared to enhance mutual understanding. The panelists will also introduce the latest trends for IP dispute resolution in their countries, and engage in an exchange of opinions.

We are confident that this symposium will be a valuable opportunity not only for attorneys-at-law and patent attorneys involved in intellectual property litigation, but also for people in the industrial sector and researchers, to gain a deeper insight into the latest information regarding the judicial system and how it relates to intellectual property in Japan, the US and Europe, as well as the current state of civil dispute resolution procedures. HONDA Tomonari
Chief Judge
Intellectual Property High Court of Japan

It is my great pleasure to announce that we are holding the Judicial Symposium on Intellectual Property/Tokyo 2024-“JSIP2024.”

Hosted by the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Intellectual Property High Court, the Japan Patent Office, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, and the Intellectual Property Lawyers Network Japan, this symposium has been held annually since 2017. We invite legal practitioners from various countries to share information on judicial systems and other matters in relation to intellectual property in each country including Japan in order to strengthen international cooperation in the field of intellectual property law.

The theme for this eighth symposium is “Intellectual Property Dispute Resolution in Japan, the United States, and Europe”. Practitioners with extensive knowledge and experience will join us and, together with their Japanese counterparts, will hold mock trials and panel discussions regarding patent infringement and other topics.

“The Intellectual Property Promotion Plan 2024,” which was enacted by the Japanese government in June of this year, addresses the increasing risk for companies operating internationally of becoming embroiled in intellectual property disputes, and highlights the current situation where countermeasures against intellectual property disputes have become more and more complex as such disputes have become more globalized.

In light of the challenges posed by such disputes, as an important initiative to develop infrastructure to help resolve them, the plan includes a measure of hosting international conferences with judicial professionals from Europe and the United States to foster international cooperation on IP dispute resolution, which provides Japanese legal professionals and private enterprises with valuable information on such issues.

I hope that the ongoing hosting of this symposium will not only strengthen international collaboration in this field, but also enhance global solidarity in promoting the rule of law.

In closing, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who worked so tirelessly to make this symposium possible. KAWAHARA Ryuji
Vice-Minister of Justice of Japan

I am pleased to announce that the “Judicial Symposium on Intellectual Property / TOKYO 2024” will be held in Tokyo, Japan, with the participation of legal professionals and administrative judges from Europe and the United States (U.S.).

In recent years, with the globalization of economic activities, cross-border intellectual property (IP) disputes have been on the rise, and their early resolution is becoming increasingly important for business enterprises to promote innovation. In order to resolve such IP disputes at an early stage, a deep understanding and experience of the trial and appeal systems and IP judicial systems of each country and their operation are required.

In this year’s symposium, we invite leading experts in the IP judicial systems in Europe, Japan and the U.S. to present the latest information on their respective trial and appeal systems and IP judicial systems. We hope that this symposium will help to increase the predictability of the resolution of IP disputes and reduce the burden on our users by providing information on the means of resolving IP disputes, the systems used to resolve them, and how operations differ from country to country and region to region.

In patent office part, mock oral proceedings of a trial for invalidation will be conducted, which includes the examination of witnesses, so that participants will have a chance to deepen their understanding of the process in a realistic manner. In addition, after a presentation on the latest status of the IP judicial field in Europe, Japan and the U.S., a panel discussion will be held on the proceedings of each office, focusing on the proceedings when adopting a publicly worked invention as evidence and oral proceeding methods.

The Government of Japan is currently promoting digital transformation (DX) to improve user convenience and business efficiency. The Japan Patent Office (JPO) also started “special electronic applications” in January of this year, enabling, in principle, electronic filing of all application documents, including those for trials for invalidation and other trial and appeal procedures. The JPO will continue its efforts to improve the environment for the convenience of users.

We hope that this symposium will provide an opportunity for the participants to deepen their understanding of the trial and appeal systems and IP judicial systems in Europe, Japan and the U.S.

We look forward to welcoming guests and representatives to the symposium. ONO Yota
Commissioner
Japan Patent Office

I am pleased to announce that the Japan Federation of Bar Associations will again this year be one of the hosts of the Judicial Symposium on Intellectual Property. The symposium, now in its eighth year, will provide a valuable opportunity to bring together legal practitioners and government officials involved on the front lines of intellectual property law from various countries, and to gain a deeper understanding of international intellectual property dispute resolution and recent IP-related topics.

The theme of this year's symposium will be IP Dispute Resolution in Japan, the United States and Europe, and will feature a comprehensive program including mock trials and discussions. In the same way as in previous years, the event will be conducted both in-person at the venue and online.

Furthermore, in modern society where AI is constantly improving, we believe that a deeper understanding of each other's legal systems is even more crucial to facilitate the resolution of cross-border intellectual property disputes. We anticipate that this symposium will serve as a platform for fostering such mutual understanding.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, many countries and regions have witnessed the accelerated adoption of online operations. In this context, the symposium provides a valuable opportunity to obtain the latest information on changes in court operations and adjudication procedures as use of the Internet becomes more prevalent. Furthermore, in modern society where AI is constantly improving, we believe that gaining a deeper understanding of each other's legal systems will be even more crucial in facilitating the resolution of cross-border intellectual property disputes. We expect that this symposium will serve as a platform for fostering such mutual understanding.

The Japan Federation of Bar Associations regards the enhancement of the user-friendliness and reliability of the civil justice system as one of its most important objectives, even in the midst of the major changes that are occurring in the judicial environment due to rapid advances in information technology. We are committed to continuing our efforts to develop the necessary initiatives to support both individuals and businesses, and plan to carry out relevant activities to achieve this goal in the future. FUCHIGAMI Reiko
President
Japan Federation of Bar Associations

This year will be the ８th “Judicial Symposium on Intellectual Property (JSIP)”, which was launched in 2017.
This year's symposium, “Judicial Symposium on Intellectual Property/TOKYO2024”- IP Dispute Resolution in Japan, the United States, and Europe“, will bring together IP experts, including judges, lawyers, and trial examiners from Europe, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom in a face-to-face or web conference format.
We are very pleased and proud to be a part of this symposium.

We, the Intellectual Property Lawyers Network Japan (IPLNET), were established in April 2005 as a result of the activities of the Japanese Federation of Bar Associations to develop the legal system and legal services related to intellectual property, which occurred concurrently with the establishment of the Intellectual Property High Court.

Since its establishment, our members, who live all over Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa and abroad, have been involved in a variety of activities, including international symposiums, exchanges with relevant overseas organizations, support for intellectual property consultation services in all prefectures in Japan, legal support for agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and support for anti-piracy measures.

As you all know, no activity in today's society is unaffected by global developments, and we are also witnessing global climate change, remarkable progress in IoT, generative AI, and CPS (Cyber-Physical System). I feel that we are now required to have a global D&I mindset and a mindset that enjoys technological evolution itself, and to respond flexibly to change and to enhance our resilience.

We have held or participated in international symposiums in the past because we felt the need to seek a form of prompt and appropriate resolution of intellectual property disputes together across national borders. The JSIP has become increasingly significant in recent years because other countries and Japan are trying to better understand and cooperate with each other's legal systems, and Japan, which advocates the rule of law, is striving to enhance its information dissemination.

We sincerely hope that this symposium will be interesting and informative for all participants and that they will make use of it in their future judicial and trial procedures. HAYASHI Izumi
President
Intellectual Property Lawyers Network Japan