Message from the president

―Implementing the Patent Attorney Kizuna Project (a project to strengthen patent attorneys’ ties with others) for achieving deeper coordination―

A: Ties with financial institutions

We will propose to financial institutions IP utilization models that will be useful in supporting SMEs. For this purpose, we will conduct a questionnaire survey targeting major and second-tier regional banks, credit unions, and credit cooperatives nationwide in order to identify their IP-related needs. Then, we will hold seminars for financial institutions facing needs and increase their understanding that IP represents a key business resource for SMEs which they should keep a focus on. In addition, we will aim to promote SMEs’ motivation to acquire IP by having financial institutions explain to them the importance of IP as a business resource.

B: Ties with professionals of other fields

We will provide opportunities for JPAA members to coordinate with professionals of other fields. Through this initiative, we will provide opportunities for members to provide IP services through referral from professionals of other fields. At the same time, we will provide opportunities for members to raise the quality of the IP services they provide to clients with the help of professionals of other fields.

C: Ties with companies

We will efficiently collect information (needs) that will be useful in developing the lineup of JPAA’s activities to support companies. In addition, we will make efforts to enhance the IP-utilization mindset of company-related organizations. Specifically, we will plan and hold opinion exchange meetings with the Japan Intellectual Property Association, and SME-related organizations including chambers of commerce and industry, commerce and industry associations, and federations of small business associations, as well as industry associations related to fields of advanced technology such as AI and biotechnology.

D: Ties with academia, etc.

As part of the efforts to support open innovations, we will provide a technology matching platform. Specifically, we will approach companies, universities, and various other organizations that have technology needs and solutions, and provide a platform for matching between them.

E: Ties between patent attorneys

By strengthening coordination between non-firm patent attorneys, such as corporate patent attorneys, and firm patent attorneys, we will consider measures to increase the IP presence in companies and society.

A: Standardization of indirect services

We will propose service support tools that take the patent attorneys service standards a step further. For example, we will consider development of application software that enables JPAA members to easily prepare an estimate on a tablet terminal while meeting a client, easily check conflicts of interest, or solve other needs.

B: Sharing of indirect services

In coordination with the Patent Attorneys Cooperative Association of Japan, we will support patent firms to improve their business efficiency by reducing the costs of their office work management division.

C: Sharing of information on local agents

We will collect agent information that contributes to the appointment of an overseas local agent when filing a foreign application, and provide the information to JPAA members.

By making use of the knowledge we have gained through the Patent Attorney IP Caravans, we will provide a new patent attorney dispatching service for SMEs.

We will expand the lineup of our training programs so as to enable patent attorneys to be involved in contracts, etc. incidental to joint R&D in which SMEs, etc. participate.

We will consider development of a system for providing JPAA members with timely information on subsidies, etc. for assisting with the costs for acquiring and maintaining IP rights. In addition, in order to increase patent attorneys’ motivation to engage in SMEs’ disputes, we will work on a plan to make insurance products for domestic IP litigation costs subject to subsidies.

A: Establishment of a salon as a place for communication among members

We will consider renovating the first floor of the JPAA Office Benrishi-Kaikan and establishing a salon space where members and overseas agents can drop by with their clients and communicate with each other during waiting time or the like.

B: Basic training for English writing

Apart from the existing training for developing global IP human resources, we will plan a training program for improving practical skills for correspondence in English.

C: Training for preparation of English contract documents

We will plan a training program for preparing contract documents for agreements such as joint research agreements, joint development agreements, rights transfer agreements, and material transfer agreements.

A: Enriching the content of JPAA’s English website

We will have the relevant affiliated organizations and committees closely examine the information to be published on the English website, and prepare the English text. We will request an outside company to create and update the English website, and ensure that we can send out information overseas in a timely manner.

B: Support for opening an exhibition booth at international conferences

We will make efforts to expand our support for patent attorneys’ international services and activities through participation in international conferences by, for example, opening JPAA’s own exhibition booths or supporting several patent attorney firms to jointly open exhibition booths.

C: Planning of an Asia tour

In order to provide JPAA members with an opportunity to engage in international services and activities in less-familiar Asian countries, we will plan an “Asia tour” to visit local patent attorney firms and local companies in such countries with the attendance of a large number of JPAA members.

We will clarify the sharing of roles between the JPAA head office and branch offices, and identify the current issues facing the offices in order to enable the head office to effectively support the activities of the branch offices.

We will continue to hold the seminars we provided last fiscal year under the Chizai Hirometai (IP use promotion seminar) scheme in collaboration with the Circuit Japan Patent Office program.

In order to activate regional IP, we will increase the opportunities for JPAA branch offices and the JPAA vice presidents in charge of the respective branch offices to communicate with each other.

We will make a reform to be able to identify the issues which JPAA needs to solve urgently regardless of the distinction of the fiscal year concerned, and incorporate measures against those issues in the policy for the following fiscal year.

We will consider appointing human resources that are capable of examining JPAA’s financial policy, etc. with expert knowledge as financial improvement specialists and allocate them in the President’s Office. In addition, we will consider whether we should appoint human resources that are capable of examining JPAA’s public relations policy with expert knowledge as public relations specialists.

In order to enable JPAA to conduct activities based on a medium- to long-term strategy, we will request each affiliated organization to propose medium- to long-term issues to be addressed in the organization’s specialized field from among the matters it experienced or considered in its activities.