Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� July, 2003

The Fifth Meeting of the Intellectual Property Policy Headquarters Tuesday, July 8, 2003 The Fifth Meeting of the Intellectual Property Policy Headquarters was held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. At the meeting, the Program for Promoting the Creation, Protection and Exploitation of Intellectual Properties was decided. This program compiles the measures to be taken in the future regarding the protection, creation and exploitation of intellectual properties in the view to making Japan a "Nation Built on Intellectual Property." Specifically, the Program includes the promotion of creation of intellectual property at universities and other academic institutions, the establishment of the Law to Ensure Prompt Examination of Patent Applications (tentative title), the establishment of an intellectual property high court to enhance dispute settlement system, reinforcement of measures against counterfeits and pirated copies, and expansion of the media content business. After receipt of the decision, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "It is important to promptly put the contents of the Program into action. I call for us to push forward to hastily realize a Nation Built on Intellectual Property aiming for the establishment of an internationally competitive system without being constrained by convention."