Japanese IP Court Makes First Decision

In the first decision of the Intellectual Property High Court of Japan, a Grand Panel has overturned a lower court ruling and allowed Justsystem Corp to continue to produce and sell its word-processing and graphics software. According to the Japan Times on October 1, 2005, "Presiding Judge Katsumi Shinohara said the patent, filed by Matsushita in 1989 and registered in 1998, is 'invalid because it lacks inventive elements' and 'could have been developed with the technology before the application.'"

"The next case will be heard by the court on October 7, 2005 - Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co will be taking the JPO Commissioner to task over one of their revoked patents," writes Peter Zura at the "Two-Seventy-One Patent Blog." Oral Argument is scheduled for 1:30 P.M. in Courtroom 806 on the 17th floor of the Tokyo Court Complex, Kasumigaseki 1-1-4, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8933.

Click here for an "Outline of the Intellectual Property High Court of Japan" from the May 2005 AIPPA Journal.