patent attorney

“Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki” -Unno Juza

  • 2023年09月13日

#copyright #patent #patent attorney

　I would like to introduce a novel in which a patent attorney is the main character. The title is “Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki (Patent Multi-Armed Human Method)” and it is a novel written by “Unno Juza” (海野十三), a writer in the early Showa period.

　Unno Juza (real name: Sano Shoichi) published many mystery and science fiction novels and is called the “father of Japanese science fiction novels”. After his debut as a writer, in 1936, at the age of 39, Mr. Unno qualified as a patent attorney, and two years later, he opened “Sano Electric Patent Office.

　The “Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki” was published in 1941, when Mr. Unno was 44 years old. The story begins when an inventor visits a patent attorney who runs a patent office and requests a patent application for a “third arm”. A humorous and surreal scene appears in which the patent attorney writes the specification for the application while interacting (playing two roles) with the 100-yen bill (a large sum of money in those days) received from the inventor as the application fee and the application stamp fee. There is also a scene in which the patent attorney shows off his skills as a patent attorney by using the expression “at least” in the description of the claims, claiming that he has expanded the scope of the patent (scope of rights), and another scene in which he receives a notice of reasons for refusal after filing an application, meets with the examiner, and struggles to resolve the reasons for refusal. I feel that this is a story that is also relevant to the current practice of patent attorneys.

Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki (Patent Multi-Armed Human Method)

　There is a lot of humor scattered throughout, and the punchline is quite good. Because it is a short novel, I finished reading it in no time.
　Since more than 50 years have passed since Mr. Unno’s death and the copyright protection period has expired, this work can be freely read at Aozora Bunko and other libraries (Hiro).

Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki (Aozora Bunko) (only available in Japanese)

Manga Guide to “Intellectual Property” Work

  • 2023年05月17日

#intellectual property #patent attorney

　The TV drama “Copy That?” was introduced on our blog some time ago. Have you been watching it?

　I watch it every week. By the way, I rarely watch TV dramas. I started watching it “just in case” because I work at a patent firm, but the content was more elaborate and interesting than I expected, and now I even record it every week to watch it (laugh). Personally, I have also learned the difference in perspective between a corporate IP department and a patent firm.

　I started reading the original novels (1 and 2) after watching the drama, and a comicalized version has already been published. It seems to be free to read so far. It looks like the original novel has been shrunk down so much that it can be read in no time at all. If you have read the novel, you may want to put the comicalized version off.

　In the vein of introducing the comicalized version of “Copy That?”, I would like to introduce another work that gives you a taste of “intellectual property” work in manga form.

　One such work is the manga “Heavy Guard,” published by the Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA). Unlike “Copy That?” which is from the perspective of a corporate intellectual property department, this one depicts the daily work of a patent attorney from the perspective of a patent firm. Hirokane Production, well known for its “Kosaku Shima” series, is in charge of the artwork. So far, up to the 6th episode has been released, and each episode is divided into a first part and a second part, making it a fast-paced read. Its manga has more technical terms than “Copy That?” but it is not lacking in annotations.

　Although it is different from “Copy That?” and “Heavy Guard” which are easy-to-read manga works for general readers, the JPO has published a manga called “Manga Examination Criteria – AI/IoT Edition –”. This is a “cartoon of the basic concept of patent examination standards” with the “desire to familiarize non-patent experts with patent examination” and so on. The JPO hopes that “those who are interested in fields other than AI/IoT-related technologies” will also find the manga useful, since “the basic concept of patent examination is common to other fields as well”.

　The JPO has also published a manga, “History of Intellectual Property”. It introduces historical episodes of patents, designs, trademarks, etc., and features Korekiyo Takahashi, the first Commissioner of the Patent Office, as well as Japan’s ten greatest inventors. Local libraries have learning manga for children that feature inventions and discoveries, and this one is designed to be read in the same way.
(blink)

Anniversary associated with Intellectual Property

  • 2021年03月24日

#intellectual property #patent #patent attorney

The theme is “Introduction to Intellectual Property”, but today I would like to introduce anniversaries related to intellectual property.
First, I would like to ask you a question. How many do you know?

April 18, Invention Day (Japan)
April 23, World Book Day / Copyright Day (UNESCO)
April 26, World Intellectual Property Day (World Intellectual Property Organization)
July 1, Patent Attorney’s Day (Japan)
July 22, Copyright System Day (Japan)
August 1, Aichi Invention Day (Aichi Prefecture)
August 14, Exclusive Patent Day (Japan)
November 18, Music Copyright Day (Japan)

It seems that there are many anniversaries in April and the hot season for some reason. Looking overseas, there is Inventor’s Day. In the United States, for example, Thomas Edison’s birthday is Inventor’s Day.

April is coming soon. This year too, the day of invention, the day of world intellectual property rights, will come. In Japan, every year, one week including Invention Day is designated as Science and Technology Week. It may be a good idea to think about inventions and science in this season when the weather is getting better. (blink)

Related URL
Invention Day (April 18) (Japanese)
World Book and Copyright Day (April 23)
Saint George’s Day (April 23, reference)
Children’s Reading Day (April 23, reference) (Japanese)
World Intellectual Property Day (April 26)
Patent Attorney’s Day (July 1) (Japanese)
Copyright System Day (July 22) (Japanese)
Aichi Invention Day (August 1) (Japanese)
Exclusive Patent Day (August 14) (Japanese)
Music Copyright Day (November 18)
Inventor’s Day
Science and Technology Week (Japanese)

Work experience at a patent office

  • 2021年03月19日

#intellectual property #patent #patent attorney

At KidZania Tokyo, where children can experience work, “patent office” will open for a limited time!
This is a limited event from March 19th to 25th during “Patent Attorneys Week” held by the Japan Patent Attorneys Association and the planning and management company of KidZania.
It will be the first time that a work experience of a “patent attorney” has appeared in KidZania.
Participant will become a “patent attorney”, receive a request from the “invention workshop”, create patent application documents as an agent, and confirm the examination result at the “patent office satellite office”. A registration certificate will be issued, and the participant can take it home as a deliverable.
As a person working at a patent firm, I hope that children will have fun learning about intellectual property and the role of patent attorneys. (Cacao)

＜Reference Website＞
KidZania Tokyo news page (translated into English)
KidZania Tokyo Official Site｜A Real City for Kids! (English)