Court Decisions
-
Can Component Makers Claim Damages Without Selling the End Product? — A Key IP High Court Ruling on Article 102 of the Japanese Patent Act
Category : Court DecisionsOverview This case concerns a patentee that manufactured and sold a component corresponding to a core module of an accused end product that was found to infringe the asserted patent. Although the patentee did not manufacture or sell the end product, it primarily sought damages under Article 102(1) and (2) of the Japanese Patent Act.…
-
Can a Company Obtain a Patent When an Outside Advisor Is Recognized as the Inventor? — Lessons from a Japanese IP Dispute over Ownership of Inventions in Medical Device Development
Category : Court DecisionsOverview This Japanese court case addressed whether a company could claim patent rights over an invention developed with input from an external advisor. The advisor contributed to the project, but he was not an employee, and the contract lacked clear IP provisions. The court ultimately recognized the advisor as the sole inventor and denied the…
-
Can Patent Infringement Occur Even with Overseas Servers? — A Key Ruling from Japan’s IP High Court
Category : Court DecisionsOverview This case addresses whether a service that uses servers located outside Japan can still infringe a Japanese patent. The Intellectual Property High Court ruled that if the essential functions of the patented invention are completed on user devices within Japan, infringement can be recognized under Japanese law. The judgment is a significant development for…