Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TOKYO617
2006-02-03 08:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

JAPANESE IPR ASSOCIATION FOCUSSED ON CHINA AND

Tags:  KIPR ECON ETRD JP 
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030831Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8244
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0390
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2747
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 5615
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7468
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RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 7056
RUESLE/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 1972
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 1179
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000617 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE for EAP/J, EAP/EP, EB/TPP/MTA/IP
USDOC for DAS HLevine

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIPR ECON ETRD JP
SUBJECT: JAPANESE IPR ASSOCIATION FOCUSSED ON CHINA AND
PATENTS


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000617

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE for EAP/J, EAP/EP, EB/TPP/MTA/IP
USDOC for DAS HLevine

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIPR ECON ETRD JP
SUBJECT: JAPANESE IPR ASSOCIATION FOCUSSED ON CHINA AND
PATENTS



1. SUMMARY: The Japan Intellectual Property Association
(JIPA) is concentrating its international efforts on: 1)
combating Chinese counterfeits of Japanese products and
2) promoting an international mutual recognition system
for patent searches, according to Secretary-General Hideo
Doi in a recent meeting with EconOff. In China JIPA is
running several training programs aimed at Chinese
Customs, Trademark, and Patent officials, and is
compiling a database of people convicted of IPR crimes in
China for the use of the Chinese government.
End Summary


2. BACKGROUND: The Japan Intellectual Property
Association (JIPA) considers itself the world's largest
IPR industry organization with over a thousand members
representing large and medium chemical, electronics, and
manufacturing firms in Japan. Among its international
outreach programs, JIPA offers training in China, Taiwan,
Thailand, and Korea. The current JIPA president Naoto
Kuji comes from Honda, (which has been concerned about
counterfeit auto parts in China) and will be replaced
this year by Kazuo Kamisugi of Wako Chemicals, a chemical
and pharmaceutical manufacturer.

JIPA Activities in China


3. JIPA has shifted its strategy in China to what Doi
called a carrot and stick approach because it realized
that just demanding that China improve its IPR
environment was counter-productive. Therefore, JIPA,
working closely with the Japanese government (MOFA, METI,
JETRO),has developed a broad program to work with
Chinese officials to improve IPR enforcement including:

(a) Training Customs Officials to distinguish between
authentic and fake goods. JIPA also helped compile a how-
to manual for the training.

(b) Training Trademark Bureau officials on how to combat
trademark infringements. In early 2006, JIPA also plans
a study session with the Trademark Bureau to address the
issue of unclear standards for determining trademark
infringements. (Doi explained that Chinese manufacturers
are producing numerous fakes using look-alike or sound-
alike brands, e.g. Hongda, instead of Honda.)

(c) Training Chinese Patent Office examiners to improve
their skills and knowledge. JIPA provided technical
training on patents for advanced technology in both
automobiles and electronics in 2005. JIPA's goal is to
improve the quality of patent examination in China as the
Chinese government rapidly increases the number of patent
examiners to correspond to the increased number of patent
applications filed in China.

(d) Compiling a database of names of people who have
been convicted of IPR crimes by various security agencies
in China. Doi observed that IPR criminals tend to repeat
their crimes, so JIPA decided to provide the Chinese
government with a comprehensive database that could be
shared by different Chinese government agencies.

Japanese firms concerns


4. Japanese firms in China have been most concerned with
counterfeiting of industrial products such as automobile
parts, home electronics/appliances, and industrial
equipment. Doi also noted that a couple of years ago
most Japanese companies did not think it was worth the
expense to file a law suit for IPR infringement because
of the ineffectiveness of the Chinese courts, but that
now more Japanese companies are willing to file suits and
go to court.


5. Doi added that JIPA and its members have been working
closely with the US Embassy and the American Chamber of
Commerce in Beijing because their concerns and approaches
are very similar.

Rooting for a "Global Patent System"

TOKYO 00000617 002 OF 002




6. JIPA strongly supports the Trilateral Initiative --
which he referred to as a "Global Patent System" -- of
the Japan Patent Office (JPO),US Patent Office (USPTO)
and the EU Patent Office (EUPO) to establish a system of
sharing examination results so that a patent applicant
could use the examination results from one patent office
to petition for expedited processing in another office.
He noted that similar discussions were taking place
within WIPO but were going nowhere because of the huge
differences in approach and capabilities.

SCHIEFFER