Intellectual Property
In recent years, it has become significantly more important for companies to exercise appropriate management, protection, and utilization of their intellectual property. In addition, the increasing globalization of business activities has made it necessary to respond to developments on both a domestic and an international scale. Kitahama Partners has a strong track record and a wealth of experience in handling countless cases in a wide range of intellectual property-related fields.
Our firm has experience in all legal fields related to copyrights, designs, patents, utility models, trademarks, the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, and other facets of intellectual property; our services in these fields include the handling of license agreements, franchising, assignment of rights, and other transactions involving intellectual property (including the preparation, review, and negotiation of agreements), litigation involving intellectual property rights or the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, patent invalidation trials, actions against counterfeiting from overseas, and wide-ranging advice on a daily basis regarding other intellectual property issues.
In addition, our firm has created an “IP Task Force (IPTF)” consisting of attorneys with practical experience in various areas of intellectual property which engages in continuous knowledge-building to provide more highly specialized and robust legal services in the IP field, and which is always gathering new experience, knowledge and information for the benefit of our clients.
Furthermore, we are home to many attorneys who have studied overseas and obtained legal credentials abroad, and we have constructed a network of law firms in various countries. In international cases, we partner as needed with law firms in the relevant countries, allowing us to handle the global business expansion of our clients.
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Copyrights/Designs
Our firm has always provided our clients engaged in businesses related to entertainment, apps, software, design and the like with practical advice necessary for the appropriate management, protection, and utilization...
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Patents/Utility Models
Patent rights and utility model rights are IP rights related to inventions and designs produced through development activities supported by substantial corporate funding. They are also assets that, through registration,...
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Trademarks
The appropriate control and protection of trademarks and brands is essential in business for distinguishing a company’s products and services from those of other companies, and for realizing effective publicity....
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Unfair Competition Prevention
The Unfair Competition Prevention Act prohibits the unauthorized use of well-known and prominent product and other indications, protects trade secrets and business reputation, and the like, and is therefore extremely...
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Intellectual Property Disputes
Our firm has built a strong track record handling litigation and provisional dispositions for injunctions against the infringement of intellectual property rights, including patent rights, trademark rights, copyrights and claims...
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Anti-Counterfeiting/Anti-Piracy
With the globalization of business activities, the appropriate management, protection and utilization of foreign trademarks, brands, content and designs have become increasingly important, and it has become essential for companies...
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Art Law
The international art scene is experiencing rising demand for legal services related to not only intellectual property rights, but also transaction security and dispute resolution for high-value artworks. In Europe...
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Licensing/Franchising
Rights to intellectual property and the licensing of know-how are essential to ensure the full utilization of such rights and knowledge. From a licensor’s standpoint, there is a strong need...
Professionals
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Jiri Mestecky
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Miyako Ikuta
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Masataka Shitanishi
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Kazuo Komatsu
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Shigeru Osuga
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Koji Tomimoto
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Minami Hosoi
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Takayuki Sato
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Daisuke Yamamoto