"Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2024" approved — Driving the creation of innovation

The Japanese government's Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters approved, on June 4th, the Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2024. The Program aims to build an intellectual property ecosystem in the creation and promotion of innovation. To build this ecosystem, it is necessary to promote the activation and continuation of a virtuous cycle of intellectual creation, which consists of "creation," "protection," and "utilization" of intellectual property by various entities such as companies and universities.

This fiscal year's Intellectual Property Strategic Program considers the need to review the overall measures for the creation, protection, and utilization of intellectual property for Japan to be a leader in the creation of innovation. These measures include the promotion of domestic investment in innovation, value creation through investment in intellectual property and intangible assets, prevention of technology outflow, promotion of strategic use of standards, and promotion of social implementation through industry−academia collaboration. Based on this awareness, the Program returns to the start of the intellectual creation cycle and examines the strategic development and deployment of advanced intellectual property professionals who support this cycle from a human resource perspective. The Program is organized into four perspectives: Creation of intellectual property (Chapter 1); Protection of intellectual property (Chapter 2); Utilization of intellectual property (Chapter 3); and Strategic development and deployment of advanced intellectual property professionals (Chapter 4).

For Japanese companies to invest in innovation from a medium- to long-term perspective, it is necessary to change the corporate mindset to view R&D as an opportunity for asset creation rather than an expense. Therefore, the decision was made to introduce a tax system for innovation hubs (innovation box regime), which will be in operation from next April. Therefore, the Program will enhance the administrative framework, including the establishment of procedural rules for the tax system for innovation hubs, formulate guidelines that explain the system in an easy-to-understand manner so that businesses can actively utilize it, and promote awareness of the system in cooperation with industry associations and review the scope of taxation.

Advances in AI technology and the multimodal characteristics of AI have increased concerns about the risk of intellectual property infringement. The Program will promote proactive initiatives by various stakeholders involved in generative AI to create an ecosystem in which the promotion of AI technology advancement and the appropriate protection of intellectual property rights are compatible. Moreover, activities such as informing the public about the relation between specific intellectual property laws and generative AI in an easy-to-understand manner will continue. Among international rules, the influence of international standards has been expanding enormously in recent years. In Europe, the U.S., and China, governments are strengthening international standardization initiatives as a national strategy and promoting these initiatives through focused investments of resources, with a view toward ensuring economic security by enhancing international competitiveness. Therefore, Japan will also pursue international standardization initiatives for industry, academia, and government under the oversight of the entire government and develop a system to comprehensively promote these initiatives through the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters.

Specifically, a national standards strategy will be developed by the spring of 2025, including the establishment of representative strategic areas (economic security, environmental rules, advanced technology, and so on), promotion of behavioral changes in industry, academia, and government (expansion of strategic initiatives in government R&D projects, and so on), and enhancement of human resources and support infrastructure (ecosystem). In addition, this intellectual property strategy also includes initiatives to promote the development and deployment of doctoral graduates. In collaboration with industry, the following will be examined: the development of a Manual and Guidelines for the Deployment of Doctoral Graduates in Private Companies (tentative), transparency in the deployment of doctoral graduates, and a career support system for doctoral graduates.

The Program will support universities that provide comprehensive support, including financial assistance for doctoral students to devote themselves to research, and support for the development of career paths (such as holding career support seminars and dispatching students overseas) so that doctoral graduates can be deployed in various fields, including industry.