Issue #79, April 2024

WINDS FROM JAPANThe Licensing Executives Society Japan

Message from the New President
By Chikako HASHIMOTO *The world has undergone significant changes in recent years, and I believe that our association also requires adaptation. Rather than resisting change, it may
be more beneficial to evolve naturally in accordancewith the trends of the world.
Looking ahead, I see considerations towards diversity, encouraging participation from younger generations, and promoting international communication.
While activities related to diversity, such as theWomen in Licensing Alliance (WILA), began at theYokohama conference in 2019 but were interrupted
domestically due to the pandemic, I hope to resume
WILA activities domestically.
For the activities of younger generations, we havethe Young Member Congress (YMC). We will holdthe YMC Asia Pacific Conference in Tokyo this April,and I hope to see many young members participate in
the activities of LES Japan.
Regarding international activities and exchanges,
in addition to participating in the LES International
Annual Conference and IMDM in Madrid at the end ofApril, we also aim to collaborate with other Asia-Pacific societies.

It is with great honor andhumility that I assume therole of President of LES Japan. As I step into this position, I am filled with gratitude for the trust you haveplaced in me and enthusiasm for the journey ahead.
First and foremost, I
want to express my heartfelt appreciation to each andevery one of you for your ongoing dedication, support,and contributions to LES Japan. Your commitment
has been the bedrock of our association, and I am
deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead such a dynamic and passionate community.
One of the distinctive features of LES Japan is thatit consists of companies, lawyers, patent attorneys, andresearchers who are active in the field of intellectual
property and licensing. Together, we deepen ourknowledge, engage in research, and exchange information in a friendly atmosphere. Under the excellent
leadership of past presidents, our association has
grown to become one of the leading organizations in
the intellectual property field in Japan.
In particular, the ideal environment where members
learn while enjoying themselves, often referred to as
the "Learn and Enjoy Society," is the greatest point. Ihope that we can continue to uphold and further enrich
the excellence and tradition of our association, especially as we passed the milestone of 50 years and navigated through the challenges posed by the COVID-19
pandemic, entering into a new era.
To achieve this, I am committed to fully supporting
member activities by actively seeking your valuable
opinions, maintaining and enhancing the strengths of
LES Japan, and striving for further improvement.

The activities of our association cannot succeed
without your active participation, support, and cooperation. We sincerely ask for your continued assistance.
In the coming months, I look forward to collaborating with each of you, listening to your ideas and feedback, and working together to build a brighter futurefor our association.
Thank you once again for your trust and support. I
am excited and honored to serve as your President, andI am committed to working on behalf of LES Japan andits members.
~~~~~~~~~~~* President of LES Japan, Chief Manager of Trademark Department, Sakai International Patent Office1

Monthly seminar with Judge Alan ALBRIGHT,US District Court for the Western District of Texas
By Tomoko NOGUCHI *This was the first visit to Tokyo for Judge
ALBRIGHT, and nearly a hundred LES Japan members including people who actually had/have lawsuits
in his court gathered to listen to him. The presentationfrom Judge ALBRIGHT mainly consisted of two parts:
1) why he issued a “Standing order Governing Proceedings” on Apr 4, 2023, including the background ofthe order and his underlying thoughts on the matter,and 2) Judge ALBRIGHT’s thoughts on the “Order Assigning the business of the court as it relates to PatentCases” issued on July 25, 2022, by Chief US District
Judge Orland GARCIA. Mr. Matthew BERNSTEIN, alitigator at Perkins Coie LLP, also joined as a speakerto give supplemental comments such as litigation procedure in Waco and insights from a lawyer’s point ofview.

LES Japan held the monthly seminar in Tokyo on
Dec 18, 2023, titled “What Makes Waco Different andso Popular - How Japanese Companies Can Succeed inthis Venue”, presented by US District Judge AlanALBRIGHT.

Unlike usual seminars in Japan, half of the seminar
was dedicated for a Q&A session. Judge ALBRIGHT
openly answered all questions including very hard
ones, and the seminar was successfully concluded.

Afte the seminar, Mr. Kenichi NAGASAWA, President of LES Japan, Ms. Chikako HASHIMOTO, thePresident-Elect of LES Japan and Ms. Tomoko
NOGUCHI, a moderator and board member of LES
Japan had dinner with Judge ALBRIGHT, Mr.
BERNSTEIN and Mr. Han-Wei CHEN, partner lawyerof Perkins Coie LLP, and further discussing various IP
matters both in US and Japan.

Ms. Tomoko NOGUCHI mentioned that she received multiple messages from both presenters andparticipants which were all very positive and included
glowing reviews for such an active discussion between
judge and potential plaintiffs/defendants, which surely
will provide positive effects on future patent litigations
in US.
~~~~~~~~~~~* Director, Licensing, Nokia Solutions and Networks
Japan G.K.

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2024 LES Japan Annual General Meeting2) participating in LES
International events andhaving active interactions
with other LES societies,
where the LES International Young Members
Congress Asia PacificConference will be heldin April and a Joint Meeting with LES China in
September will be held,
both occurring in ToMs. Chikako HASHIMOTO
kyo.

By Yasuo FUJII*LES Japan held its Annual General Meeting onFebruary 21st, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. Participation
was limited to in-person only.

Then, the selection of a new President (Ms.

Mr. Kenichi NAGASAWA

Chikako HASHIMOTO), anew President-Elect (Mr.
Shoei IMAI), a new VicePresident (Mr Yasuo FUJII)
and new Board members(Mr.
Koichiro
YAMASHITA, Mr. Yuichi
YOSHIMURA and Mr.
Kazuhiro KOBAYASHI)
were approved.

At the beginning of themeeting, Mr. Kenichi
NAGASAWA, Presidentof LES Japan, delivered his
opening remarks summarizing the activities of LES
Japan during his two-yearterm.
ThenMr.
NAGASAWA reported onthe LES Japan activities in2023, which included:

Mr. Shoei IMAI

1) Joint Meeting of AIPLA and LES Japan;
2) LES Japan Annual Conference in Hamamatsu City
with more than 200 participants;
3) Seminars;
4) Licensing training courses;
5) Working Group activities; and
6) Publications.

Subsequently, Ms. Chikako HASHIMOTO, thePresident-Elect of LES Japan explained the activity
plans in 2024, where it was emphasized that the following activities will be particularly focused upon:
1) planning and holding the LES Japan Annual Conference and providing the members with a comprehensive opportunity for communications and sharing
the latest IP issues; and3

Mr. Yasuo FUJII

Mr. Koichiro YAMASHITA

Mr. Yuichi YOSHIMURA

Mr. Kazuhiro KOBAYASHI

Further, for the first time in 5 years (since 2019) theparticipants enjoyed a party after the meeting. In theparty, the members received greetings from the guests:
Mr. Tomonari HONDA, the Chief Judge of the Intellectual Property High Court, Mr. Futoshi YASUDA,
the Director-General, Trial and Appeal Department,
Japan Patent Office; and Ms. Dana NORTHCOTT, International Trademark Association (INTA) 2024 President (VP & Associate General Counsel, IP at Amazon,Inc.).

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Ichiro NAKATOMI,
the Immediate Past-President of LES International andMs. Junko SUGIMURA, the Vice-President of LES
International respectively delivered speeches encouraging the members for their international activities

Mr. Ichiro NAKATOMI

Ms. Junko SUGIMURA

Just after the meeting, Ms.
Rumi ICHIKAWA, theChair of the organizing committee, announced that the2024 LES Japan Annual
Conference will be held on
July 12th and 13th in Niigata
City.

The party after the meeting

The party was closed with remarks by Mr. Yoshiyuki IWAI, Honorary Advisor of LES Japan andpast Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office, expressing his expectations for the development of LES
Japan.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ms. Rumi ICHIKAWA* Editor / Patent Attorney, Haruka Patent & Trademark Attorneys

WINDS from Japan
Editorial Board Members, 2024

Editors’ Note
This issue includes articles " Message from theNew President" by Ms. Chikako HASHIMOTO, "Monthly seminar with Judge Alan ALBRIGHT, US
District Court for the Western District of Texas" by Ms.
Tomoko NOGUCHI, and “2024 LES Japan AnnualGeneral Meeting” by Mr. Yasuo FUJII.
Thank you for supporting “WINDS from Japan.”This newsletter will continue to provide you with useful information on activities at LES Japan and up-todate information on IP and licensing activities in Japan.
If you would like to refer to any back issues of ournewsletters, you can access them via the following
URL:

Editor in Chief:
Yasuo FUJII
Editors:
Jinzo FUJINO; Shoichi OKUYAMA;
Junichi YAMAZAKI; Kei KONISHI;
Naoki YOSHIDA; Mitsuo KARIYA
Takao YAGI; Hideko MIHARA;
Yoko NATSUME; Dennis M. HUBBS;
Yasuko TANAKA;
Chihoko SHIRASAWA

https://www.lesj.org/en/winds/new.php

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