'Recent Trends and Issues in Japanese IP Practice' Seminar Held

Lee & Ko's IP Group held a joint seminar on Thursday, July 10, 2025, with AIK Law Office from Japan, titled “Recent Trends and Issues in Japanese IP Practice.” 
 
Together with AIK Law, Lee & Ko’s IP Group has regularly hosted joint seminars focusing on how Korean companies can practically respond and what to consider when IP disputes or acquisition matters arise in Japan. The seminar was moderated by Attorney Yikang Kang (Lee & Ko).
 
For the first session, Attorney Makoto Hattori (AIK) presented on Patent Infringement Litigation Practice in Japan. Mr. Hattori emphasized that Japanese courts have recently prioritized procedural scheduling, and provided detailed statistics on average trial durations, rulings, and damages awarded in IP cases. Attorney Heon Lee (Lee & Ko) presented next on Korea’s patent infringement procedures and practical aspects from a comparative law perspective.

In the following session, Patent Attorney Shimako Kato (AIK) presented on patent invalidity procedures and practice in Japan, noting that Japan’s patent invalidation rate is significantly lower than Korea’s, reflecting a focus on protecting patent holders. Following Ms. Kato’s presentation, Attorney Ilkwon Kim (Lee & Ko) provided a comparative review of Korea’s trial decision system and relevant Supreme Court decisions. 
 
For the third session, Attorney Emiko Maki (AIK) presented on protection of trade secrets in Japan, detailing the expanded scope of presumed trade secret infringement under the April 2024 amendment. Attorney Soojeong Kang (Lee & Ko) then discussed a comparative law review of Korea’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act in view of the Japanese law.
 
For the last session, Attorney Chitaka Iwama (AIK) presented on recent notable patent cases in Japan. Ms. Iwama gave detailed presentations on Japanese Supreme Court’s landmark Dwango case, Japanese IP High Court’s case related to industrial applicability of medical practice invention, and Japanese district court’s case related to FRAND rate setting in Japan for standard-essential patents. Attorney Ahhyun Nam (Lee & Ko) then examined Korean case precedents in the comparative law perspective. 
 
Lee & Ko’s IP Group is composed of over 140 IP experts, making it the largest IP dedicated team in Korea. In addition, professionals with deep expertise across diverse fields collaborate closely to provide swift and efficient legal services.