2. Improving the patent attorney’s work environment and reinforcing the infrastructure of patent offices
　In order to adequately respond to the expectations of the society towards patent attorneys, it is important to provide services of high quality. We will create guidelines related to the clear specification of the patent attorney’s salary that was revised in last fiscal year and further improve and enhance the business standards of patent offices.
　Based on the results of a survey regarding the service price of patent attorneys that was conducted in the last fiscal year, we will, especially, review the service price system and work towards publishing the results of the review,.
　We will review the nature of the patent attorney examination system and the appropriate number of patent attorneys on the basis of maintaining the processing power of the patent attorney business that satisfies the social demands and trust towards patent attorneys, and will make proposals.
　In order to further enhance the condition of the patent office management system, we will make the most of the general consultation services for members which was newly established in last fiscal year, and implement measures to promote the use of the work handover system.

3. Contributions to the development of the IP system and IP industry and contributions of the patent attorney to society
　We will actively offer opinions regarding the revision of the patent law that is currently underway and the new IP policies to the Intellectual Property Strategic Headquarters aiming to promote pro-innovation, and other concerned government ministries.
　We will also develop IP personnel that will play a central role in the future by further expanding and reinforcing patent contests, design patent contests, patent seminars, invention schools, and academic support, etc.
　In order to support regional IP activities, we would like progressively to collaborate with each prefecture, based on support agreements between municipalities and JPAA. We will also consider a project to mark the 10th anniversary since the conclusion of our first support agreement.
　Not only will we provide appropriate support to strengthen the protection and use of the intellectual property of small and mid-sized venture companies, we will also reinforce our collaboration with other professionals and agencies, that are skilled in supporting small and mid-sized enterprises.
　Furthermore, we will also strengthen our collaboration with affiliated industrial organizations, regional municipalities and chambers of commerce.

4. Further enhancement of the expertise of patent attorneys in order to respond to various IP needs
　In order to respond to increasingly diverse IP needs, we must further enhance our expertise in our field as well as in peripheral and new businesses. Furthermore, we will cultivate numerous patent attorneys that can act as so-called general advisers by merging their original skills with expertise in other areas and business strategy.
　We will support the improvement in the capabilities of new patent attorneys by taking more advantage of IP Business Academies and enhancing training and practical education in collaboration with other professionals, etc. This can include, for instance, the introduction of apprentice systems (OJT-type) such as practical training through small-group seminars with experienced patent attorneys as the instructors, or expansion of the intern system.
　We will also make continuous efforts in our training programs.
　We will consider to creat situations in which the qualifications of patent attorney litigators can be used effectively as well as to enhance opportunities for the practical training, and cultivate patent attorneys litigators that are skilled at litigation, external negotiations, consulting, and contract business.

5. Strengthening capabilities to handle foreign business, enhancement of international competitiveness, and international contribution
　We will enhance the international competitiveness of patent attorneys by further reinforcing the development of patent attorneys that are skilled in foreign business by expanding foreign business training. In addition, we will expand our international information collection capabilities and improve our capacity to transmit international information to our members in order to extensively collect various types of international information related to foreign legal systems and amendments.
　In view of the international nature of the patent attorney’s work, it is crucial that the international nature of the patent attorney business is consistent with the patent attorney examination system. Therefore, we will continue our deliberations and activities to ensure that the patent attorney examination guarantees the international nature of patent attorneys, such as by requiring that the treaties regarding industrial property become a mandatory part of the essay examination of the patent attorney examination.
　We will intensify our interactions with foreign countries, in particular with Asian countries such as Korea, China, and India, in which the importance of IP has been growing in recent years. In addition, we will host Asian Seminars and actively cooperate in the human resource development of patent attorneys and in developing and improving the patent attorney system in Asian countries, and make efforts to develop a better international patent attorney system. In order to do so, we will cooperate IP systems in Asian countries and with IP-related organizations in Asia (APAA, etc.), as well as with the U.S. and European IP-related organizations (AIPPI, AIPLA, FICPI, LES, etc.).

6. Restructuring of the organization and operation of the JPAA and further enhancement of member services
　We will continue to review the structure that contributes to efficient association management and of an attractive committee system in which young members will actively participate.
　We will also continue to review the association activities to enable patent attorneys-a rapidly rising trend in recent years-to easily join the activities.
　In order to respond to the business expansion of the JPAA and strengthen its continuity, etc., we will further improve and reinforce the Research Office and promote a system in which policy matters (general policy planning and research support), etc., can also be conducted in the Research Office.
　We will promote to create a system that can support the patent attorney business, by establishing an “IP Business Support Center (tentative name)” as an external organization as a measure to bring in peripheral and new businesses for patent attorneys and establish these as patent attorney businesses in a concrete fashion.
　We will continue to review and organize the division of roles between the head office and branch offices and the similarities and differences between the branch offices (size, possible range of branch office activities), etc., based on actual experiences after establishment of the nation-wide branch office system, and will also work on developing the secretariat systems of branch offices, especially small-scale branch offices.
　We will further improve member services, such as by enhancing the general consultation services for members that was started in last fiscal year, and also develop a system that offers members services that match the current situation, in view of the development in IT technology, etc.
　We will further enhance and improve the PR center, which became our affiliate organization in last fiscal year. We will broadcast the external support activities and internal organizational activities of the JPAA throughout the society and disseminate the various internal and external activities of the JPAA.
　We will also further reinforce the disclosure of patent attorney information on our website in order to disclose information regarding patent attorneys to society and to improve user-friendliness.

7. Conclusion
　The current Japanese societal and economic conditions are also extremely severe for patent attorneys. However, we patent attorneys believe that by contributing to societal development through contributions to the IP system, we can help reverse the current situation. I fully intend to work passionately towards our objectives as I start my second term in office, and ask sincerely you for your continued support and cooperation. Thank you.

April 1, 2010

What's New toppage