Researchers in Graduate School of Intellectual Property (AY2024)
Outline and Features
The Graduate School of Intellectual Property (IP Professional Master Course) is a unique professional school started in 2005 at OIT to create industry-required professionals with knowledge and skills of intellectual property. As of now, our Graduate School is the only professional graduate school in Japan that offers the environment to study intellectual property. The faculty members are composed of IP experts and practitioners with profound experiences in industrial sectors and national government. They provide students with relevant professional education in the legal realm as well as IP skills to develop IP professionals. The School accepts a variety of students with various background including working people and other graduates from various undergraduate degrees such as law, engineering, economics, business administration, etc. The unique diploma of Master of IP (Professional Course) will be granted to those students who have completed the course with the required credits and a research thesis.
IP practical education with advanced skills
The rich curriculum covering all the necessary fields for IP professionals includes, as shown in the chart, the four major areas with 60 subjects; the IP Legal Platform Area, the Innovation Area, the IP Business Area and the IP Global Area. Each faculty member is ready to assist students to select the fitting subjects in view of the student’s future goal. We are accepting many overseas students and assisting them with special care.
For international students (Language used, Distance Learning, etc.)
Most of the lectures are provided in Japanese, so that international students can study not only intellectual property issues but also Japanese language as such. Some of the subjects, however, are available in English so that an English-speaking student can get a certain number of credits.
For international students who can stay only a part of the 2-year period in Japan, the distance learning is available for the rest of the period. For such students, lectures are provided via Internet. International students can join the lecture, staying in his/her home country.
Unlike other Japanese school, international students may enroll in our school in September in addition to April that is normal enrolment season in Japan.
Strong support for acquiring a national patent attorney license
Students having graduated from our School with credits for certain subjects may apply for exemption of certain subjects from the first-step examination of the National Patent Attorney(benrishi.) Furthermore, students having written a thesis in a specific legal field may apply for a partial exemption from the second step of the examination. Each year, a number of our students have successfully obtained these exemptions and brought forward the final passing for the patent attorney qualification.
Internship program
The internship program is very important for our students to experience the actual practicing in the IP field. Our internships are available both in Japan and overseas in patent law firms or private companies. The overseas internship program which is useful for our students to enhance their global mind is possible in U.S., Europe and Asia with the fee assisted by OIT.
Global collaborations
Our School provides many opportunities for students to interact with people in the world. For example, we send our selected students to the summer IP institute at the CASRIP (Center for Advanced Study and Research on IP at the University of Washington) with expenses assisted by OIT. Many of our students enjoy collaborations using English with the foreign researchers invited by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) as well as WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) staying with us on a long-term basis, which results in advancing students' international mind.
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at CASRIP -
with JICA researchers
Courses provided in English
Our School offers the following 4 Study and 2 Research Courses in which all the lectures are given in English by experienced professors of our graduate school and other universities as well as lawyers and other IP experts from industry, including US attorneys and Japanese patent attorneys.
| Course Title | Contents | Time / Period |
|---|---|---|
| Intellectual Property Studies I | Basics of Japanese IP laws, Japanese Patent Law, Japanese Design Law, Japanese Trademark Law, Patent Practice, Trademark Practice, Protection of Trade Secrets & Unfair Competition Prevention Law in Japan, Patent Information Search, etc. | 12 weeks starting early May (15 classes x 90 minutes) |
| Intellectual Property Studies II | Basics of IP and Business, Business Strategy and IP, Marketing and IP, IP Strategy, IP Association of Industry, IP Activities of Japanese Companies, IP License, Industry-Academia Collaboration, Evaluation of IP, IP Management, etc. | 12 weeks starting early May (15 classes x 90 minutes) |
| Intellectual Property Studies (Summer Intensive) | Introduction to US Judicial System, Introduction to US Patent Law, IP Strategy of Japanese Companies, Introduction to Japanese Patent Law, Patent Prosecution Practice, Patent Claim Drafting Practice, International IP License, Presentation Contest by participants, etc. | 1-week intensive course in the last week of August (22.5 hours) |
| Intellectual Property Studies III | Technical Standard and IP, Case study on IP strategy of Japanese Companies, IP Supports by Japanese Government Organizations, IP Supports by Japanese Industry Associations, Copy right law, and latest IP system and practice in the World, etc. | 12 weeks starting late September (15 classes x 90 minutes) |
| Intellectual Property Research I | Research on International IP law issues relating to patents, trademarks, designs, copy rights, and international business issues relating to IP management, IP strategy, IP licensing. | 3 months starting early May |
| Intellectual Property Research II | Research on International IP law issues relating to patents, trademarks, designs, copy rights, and international business issues relating to IP management, IP strategy, IP licensing. | 3 months starting late September |
| Name (LAST NAME, First Name) * Click Name for Details |
Title | Research Field | Related Info. |
| OTSUKA, Michihiko | P | New fields of law | |
| NAITO, Hiroki | P | Electron device/ Electronic equipment, Management, Intellectual Property Management | |
| MURAKAWA, Kazuo | P | New fields of law, Communication/Network engineering | |
| MIURA, Takenori | P | New fields of law | |
| KAKUTA, Masanori | P | Intellectual Property | |
| KOBAYASHI, Akihiro | P | New fields of law | |
| KITASHIRO, Shinichi | P | ||
| KONO, Masamichi | P | Copyright Law | |
| YAMANAKA, Hiromi | P | ||
| ITO, Hiroyuki | P | ||
| MOGI, Yusuke | P | ||
| KITAGAWA, Hajime | P | ||
| HASEGAWA, Koichi | AP | Management |
P = Professor
AP = Associate Professor
ATP = Assistant Professor
Researchers in Faculty of Intellectual Property (2022)
Outline and Features
Japan's first and unique faculty for the study of intellectual property and professional skills
For the continued growth of enterprises, it is of essential importance to protect the technology and design of the developed product as intellectual property. There is a strong demand for intellectual property professionals with legal expertise concerning patent and trademark, who are also versed in business and marketing as well as technologies that will lead to innovation. Responding to the social needs, the Faculty of Intellectual Property was born as the one and only academic institution in Japan where students can specialize in the study of intellectual property. As such, the faculty offers unique educational programs that are peculiar to the sole humanities department in a technological university.
The school provides three major courses in accordance with the students' future career paths
The faculty of Intellectual Property offers a wide range of learning opportunity for students to realize their goals and objectives. The three courses:
- Intellectual Property Professional Course
- Brand & Design Course
- Business Management Course
Small-group instruction and individual guidance
One distinctive feature of learning at the Faculty of Intellectual Property is its seminar-based small-group instruction, which starts at the students' first year and guides them all the way through to graduation, providing personalized learning support as well as guidance for campus life and career planning.
Opportunities to learn science and technology subjects provided by other faculties
Intellectual property is a multidisciplinary field which requires a wide range of knowledge, for example, law, science and technology, economics, and business administration. Taking advantage of OIT having the Faculties of Engineering, Robotics and Design, Information Science and Technology, students in the Faculty of Intellectual Property can learn those subjects provided by the three faculties of OIT.
Curriculum
Japan is one of the leading countries promoting intellectual property rights, which is giving a competitive edge to Japanese industries in the global market as well as opportunities for sustainable growth. The Faculty of Intellectual Property offers a wide range of subjects providing the latest academic knowledge and practical skills for students hoping to become IP specialists. Our curriculum is designed for students to be able to learn a variety of subjects including law, economics, business administration, science and technology through four years.
First Year Curriculum
Besides general academic subjects, the first year students will learn basic intellectual property laws as well as fundamental laws including the civil law and the Japanese constitution. They are also required to learn basic business skills such as report writing and computer literacy.
Second Year Curriculum
The second year students are to select from the three courses provided in accordance with their future career paths:
(1) the Intellectual Property Professional Course,
(2) the Brand & Design Course, and
(3) the Business Management Course.
Then they will take particular subjects depending on their courses, for instance, basic issues in IP Laws (Patent Law, Utility Model Law, Design Law, Trademark Law, Unfair Competition Prevention Law), Economics, International Law, and so on. Practical skills will be taught in small-groups.
Third Year Curriculum
The third year students will study specific issues on IP as well as learn how to put their acquired knowledge into practice through problem based learning. The summer internship program will provide students with precious opportunities to communicate with patent attorneys and IP specialists in corporations and law firms, where they can learn the connection between academic knowledge and practical skills. Research seminars in small groups will start this year and each student will begin research on his/her chosen theme under the supervision of the faculty in charge.
Forth Year Curriculum
The fourth year students are required to complete their graduation studies under the supervision of the faculty in charge. They are also encouraged to take science and technology classes as well as special English classes for brushing up their knowledge and skills.
Three Courses
The Faculty of Intellectual Property offers three courses focusing on specific knowledge and skills required in the respective fields. The second year students and on are to belong to one of those courses in accordance with their goals and objectives.
IP Professional Course
This course focuses on the knowledge and skills for protecting and promoting the intellectual property rights such as patent right and copyright. Intellectual property are important human assets that are yielded by all kinds of creative activities including invention, music, art, etc., and thus deserve special protection for the promotion of industry and culture. This course aims at bringing up future IP specialists who can assume this important role in the global workplace.
| Main subjects | Patent Law and Utility Model Law, International IP Law, Patent Design Quest, International IP Quest |
|---|---|
| Future careers | IP specialists in corporations, R&D Planning Division specialists, Paralegals at IP law firms |
Brand & Design Course
This course focuses on the knowledge and skills for utilizing intellectual property in business with a particular emphasis on brand, design, and contents. This course aims at bringing up future specialists with a profound understanding of the importance of brand, design, and contents in the market, and with expertise on how to utilize them in business.
| Main subjects | Market and Brand, Brand Strategy, Design Strategy, Brand Quest, Contents IP Quest |
|---|---|
| Future careers | Specialists for brand management, product design, content management |
Business Management Course
This course focuses on providing the knowledge and skills for managing the use of intellectual property with a wider perspective of business in general. This course aims at bringing up business professionals with special understanding of intellectual property and skills to utilize it in business.
| Main subjects | Innovation and Corporate Strategy, Management Strategy, Economics, IP Management Quest, Regional IP Quest |
|---|---|
| Future careers | Global business professionals with special IP knowledge and skills |
Quick Master Program
The Faculty of Intellectual Property grants early admission to the Graduate School of Intellectual Property to the third year students with high academic achievement. This early admission system allows excellent students to earn both bachelor's degree and master's degree in Intellectual Property in five years' time
Problem Based Learning
Problem Based Learning is a method of active leaning aiming at enhancing students' critical thinking by engaging them in various problem solving activities. Through this approach, students will work together in groups and learn how to find, analyze, and solve open-ended real-world problems. They can choose specific projects suited for the curriculum course they belong to.
Patent Design Quest
Patent and design are the two most important intellectual properties for manufacturing companies. Students are expected to imagine themselves in a situation where invention or design development are actually taking place and think how they can help the company acquire patents or design rights and utilize them effectively.
International IP Quest
Due to globalization, the demand for obtaining IP rights abroad is ever more increasing. Students are expected to consider how to deal with international IP disputes and how to negotiate and obtain IP rights successfully in international settings.
Brand IP Quest
Brand and corporate image emerging from company logos and product names are extremely important IP assets. Students are expected to consider the ways to increase the value of those assets and come up with strong brand strategies.
Contents IP Quest
Music, movies, novels, comics, games, apps, etc. are referred to as contents. Students are expected to investigate the ways to promote the use of contents through licensing as well as the ways to prevent illegal copies from happening
Intellectual Property Management Quest
To gain the winning edge in the highly competitive international market, it is very important for a company to manage intellectual property effectively and distinguish itself from other companies. Students are expected to consider effective IP strategies for corporations to be successful in the international market.
Regional Intellectual Property Quest
Intellectual property like Kobe beef and many regional brands have been revitalized many regions. Students research and consider look for regional revitalization by using intellectual property.
Subject Area
Common subjects
Psychology, History, Economics, Sociology, Political science, Technology in Japan, Science of Arts and so on
Special subjects
- Law
- IP management
- Economics and Business Administration
- Brand and Design
- Science, Technology and Engineering
- Seminar
Civil Law, Constitution, Economic Law, Administrative Law Patent Law, Utility Model Law, Design Law, Trademark Law and Unfair Competition Prevention Law, Digital Contents and Intellectual Property, International Intellectual Property Law
Industrial Society and IP, Modern Technology and Patent, Patent Prosecution
Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Corporate Accounting, Corporate Strategy, Venture Business, Innovation and Business Strategy, Business Analysis
Marketing, Brand strategy, Design strategy, Marketing and Brand, Industrial Design and IP
Primary Seminar, Development Seminar, Preparatory Research, Thesis Research
Introduction to Electronics, Introduction to Biotechnology, Introduction of Current Mechanical Technology, Computer Technology
Intellectual property internship program in San Francisco and Silicon Valley
In October 2015, four students and one faculty member participated in the intellectual property internship program which took place in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
This program was carried out as the first attempt of "international PBL" in the faculty of intellectual property.
They visited a federal court and some of the best-known companies like Google Corporation, Cisco Company, and RPX Corporation, and they also attended a lecture at the Morrison Foster law office.
The lecture and interviews were all carried out in English, and they got a glimpse of real international IP business scene. They also investigated on current IP issues, for example patent troll problems, which turned out to be perceived quite differently from our point of view. The international IP internship program is a substantial program which provides students with excellent opportunities to learn English and the significance of IP through PBL. The internship program continues to be held every year.
The IP PR Project
The Intellectual Property Public Relation Project (IP PR Project) is an extracurricular student activity under the supervision of IP faculties. The project supports mainly SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and sole proprietorships according to their requests in terms of IP strategies, as well as campus laboratories and traditional regional industries such as Osaka Ranma. Currently, the Project has provided patent research services, brand developing consultations with market research and comprehensive IP consultations in R&D processes. In 2019, the IP PR Project members joined the collaborative research project in the flexible robotics laboratory and promoted the design thinking development of a bedsore preventive device. As a result, the Project has received the following awards:
2015 The second prize at the national convention of Shakaijin Kisoryoku Ikusei Grand Pris (the business person’s competency contest) with their proposal of “the Ikumen Product Project (a project for the R&D of father’s goods).”
2016 The top two awards at the Chizai Katsuyo Idea Contest in Kansai area (Kansai regional competition of ideas for utilizing IPs).
2017 The first prize at the Kinki regional convention of Shakaijin Kisoryoku Ikusei Grand Pris (the business person’s competency contest) with their proposal of “Business Strategy on Rocket Engine for Preventing Space Debris.”
2017 The first prize at Ai-SPEC sponsored by the Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry.
This project aims at not only deepening student’s IP understandings and enhancing students’ career development but also contributing to the local society with academic knowledge.
Enjoy pre-graduation thesis study at Faculty Seminars
On average seven students are allocated in each faculty. Students can choose a seminar according to their research interests. Allocated students are expected to look into various topics. For example students discuss the corporate IP strategies. The study topics include: IP activities in the field of pharmaceuticals, electronics, automobiles and machinery contrasting the differences and similarities among them ; patent litigations in the semiconductor business in Japan in comparison with the U.S. cases; the comparative study of the utility-model protections in Japan and China; harmonization of trademark protections.
When a student argues that the amount of damages in the U.S. patent cases is too large compared with Japan, another student disagrees by pointing out the different ways of calculating damages and the influence of the jury system in the U.S. Candid discussions go on and various opinions are exchanged. Heated and frank discussions continue. Faculty seminars tackle the other topics in the same manner and the discussions continue with the joy of studying. As such, the atmosphere is warm. Faculty seminars provide students with excellent opportunities to learn how to look at facts objectively and think critically through debate. This helps students to develop their own views and enables them to draw up graduation theses by the end of the year.
Challenging the Chinese Patent System
It may be no exaggeration to say that Chinese IP issues are one of the major concerns for every business person. Professor Murakawa's seminar focuses on this hot area which includes the comparative study of patent systems in Japan and China. This seminar enjoys the benefit of a number of published materials thanks to the long-term research by Prof. Kawahara. In addition, the student members have easy access to the databases related to the Chinese patent act and take a special lesson from a data-research expert.
Mastering IP Strategies for Ventures Business
To be blunt, IP strategy is the must-have for ventures. The key element of this strategy is how to evaluate the worth and value of the entity's intellectual property.
Professor Hayashi is one of a few experienced experts in this area. In Prof. Hayashi's seminar, the students analyze individual companies' strategy and acquire basic skills of intellectual property evaluation. The seminar provides many opportunities to visit venture companies and to meet entrepreneurs.
Other themes (examples);
- Patent Prosecution, Administrative and Judicial Process
- Standardization and Intellectual Property
- IP Information Search and Analysis
- Information Technology and Strategic Management of Enterprises
- Patent Management and Strategy in Japanese Pharmaceutical and Bio-Industries
- Criteria of Patentability in Japan Patent Office and Courts
- IP Management, Enforcement and License
- Economical Evaluation of Intellectual Property
- Management and Strategy of IP Professionals
- Research, Development and IP Strategy in Japanese Enterprises
- History of Science and Technology in Japan and East Asia
- Copyright, Digital Contents and Freedom of Expression
- Intellectual Property Litigations and Alternative Dispute Settlements
- Influence of Intellectual Property System from Economics Perspective
- Statistical Analysis of IP Information
- IP License, Academia-Industry Collaboration and Contract
- International Law and Intellectual Property
| Name (LAST NAME, First Name) * Click Name for Details |
Title | Research Field | Related Info. |
| SUGIURA, Jun | P | Intellectual Property | |
| MIZUNO, Goro | P | Civil Procedures on Dispute Resolution of Intellectual Property Rights | |
| GOCHO, Tatsushi | P★ | Education | |
| SUGIYAMA, Norimasa | P※ | Soft computing | |
| IMURA, Makoto | P | English Education, Language and Culture | |
| NISHII, Koji | P | International law | |
| HAYASHI, Shigeki | P | Valuation of Intellectual Property and IP strategy for SMEs | |
| HIROTA, Yoshito | P | Sociology/ History of science and technology | |
| IWAMOTO, Shogo | P | Administrative Law, Anti-monopoly Law | |
| SOGO, Seiji | P | ||
| SEKIDO Kosuke | AP | Intellectual Property Law about ICT, Digital Contents and Entertainment | |
| MATSUI, Akihiro | AP | International Law | |
| KAMIYA, Kenichi | AP | Foreign language education, Educational technology | |
| YOSHIDA, Etsuko | AP | New fields of law | |
| MIYAKE, Hiroko | ATP |
P = Professor
AP = Associate Professor
ATP = Assistant Professor
★ = Dean of Graduate School and Faculty
※ = Department Chair