What U.S. Patent Attorneys Need to Know about Obtaining Japanese Software Patents – AI & Blockchain + more
In collaboration with the Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association
January 31, 2019
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Registration, networking, appetizers and cocktails
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Program
PRESENTATION
Program:
The current U.S. law on software patenting is a mess, and courts are inconsistent in its application. At the same time, software patenting and enforcement are especially important for critical building blocks of the so-called “4th industrial revolution” such as AI, Blockchain and IoT.
The Japanese industry/companies are important innovators and customers in those fields, especially for industrial automation and consumer electronics. Thus, Japanese software patents are an important part of a global IP strategy. Fortunately, Japan remains significantly more receptive to software patents than the U.S., in terms of both prosecution and enforcement. However, conventional U.S. strategy and tactics do not necessarily work in Japan.
Come and listen to an expert panel of veterans from Japanese corporations (e.g., Panasonic, Sony and Tokyo Electron), some of whom are now outside counsel in Silicon Valley and Japan, on Japanese software patent law, and how U.S. patent attorneys should adapt their software patenting strategies & tactics for success in Japan.
Panel:
Takeshi Iizuka, Japanese Patent Attorney, Vice President, Iizuka International Patent Office, Tokyo
Prior to his current IP law firm, he was in-house patent counsel at Sony Corporation, primarily involved with international patent portfolio formation and pre-litigation analysis of competitor’s patent portfolios. He was also trained in U.S. patent law at a Philadelphia IP law firm, where he passed the U.S. Patent Bar. Takeshi has spoken at AIPLA conferences about protection of software inventions, including AI and blockchain. He specializes in machine learning and robotics, and currently supports many startups based in Tokyo.
Atsushi Sato, Japanese Patent Attorney and Partner, TMI Associates, Tokyo, Head of TMI’s Silicon Valley Office
Atsushi’s practice primarily focuses on patent disputes and patent prosecution. Since becoming a patent attorney in 2003, he has handled approximately 100 patent litigation cases for both domestic and foreign clients in technologies including semiconductor devices, LEDs, telecommunications, information technologies, software, and medical devices. In addition to his extensive experience in patent litigation, he has also handled over 1,000 patent prosecutions in Japan. He was an engineer at R&D centers at Texas Instruments and Tokyo Electron Limited.
Kaoru Takagahara, Japanese Patent Attorney, Senior IP Specialist, Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (PIPCA), Torrance, CA
Kaoru has an extensive experience in wireless communication patent prosecution, including LTE-A, digital TV broadcasting and audio/video codec technology at Panasonic in Japan. Before joining PIPCA, she was responsible for patent prosecution and licensing of LTE-A related patents. She belongs to the Corporate R&D IP division and assists her colleagues in prosecution, licensing and patent pool evaluation filings. She was also trained in U.S. patent law at a Seattle IP law firm, and has been granted limited recognition status to prosecute applications before the USPTO.
One hour MCLE credit available.
