Mr. Higashitani handles Trade Mark & Design prosecution, litigation and disputes, unfair competition and copyright matters including copyright registration by Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs, and Intellectual Property Right Enforcement by Japan Customs. His primary focus is on counseling clients in connection with product marking and labeling matters including trademarks and designs. He has represented around 176 actions before the Japan Patent Office, such as Oppositions, Trials and Cancellation Appeals.
Languages
Japanese and English
Education and History
Graduated from Faculty of Social Sciences, Waseda University (B.A. 1986)
Passed the Patent Attorney BAR Examination in 1993
Joined Nakamura & Partners in 1996
Studied at a law firm in the U.S.A (Washington D.C.) in 2000
Finished graduate school of Business law, Tsukuba University (LL.M., Business Law, 2002)
Assistant Partner of Nakamura & Partners in 2005
Partner of Nakamura & Partners in 2010
Membership and Activities
Japan Patent Attorneys Association ("JPAA") (1993-)
The Copyright Law Association of Japan
Japan Trademark Association
Vice Chairman of Overseas Committee of JPAA (1998)
Vice Chairman of Copyright Committee of JPAA (2004)
Vice Chairman of Industrial Competitiveness Promotion Committee of JPAA (2005)
Committee of International Activities Center of JPAA (2007)
Agent of Unfair Competition Prevention Law for Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (2010-)
Japan Patent Office Examination Committee for Patent Attorney Review Sectional Committee of Industrial Property Council (2011-)
Main Articles
(written in English)
“Asia Non-Traditional Marks (regarding Japan)” in “Managing Intellectual Property incorporating IP Asia” published by Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC (Nov. 2005)
(written in Japanese)
Protection of Product Configuration under the Trademark Law and Unfair Competition Prevention Law-Comparative study of Japanese Laws and US Laws (Tsukuba University Graduate School, 2002)
Co-author to Dictionary of Intellectual Property Right published by Sanseido (2001)
Co-author to Dictionary of Law Terminology published by Sanseido (2003)
Commentaries on court decisions regarding trademark matters in “Lexis Case Bulletin” published by LexisNexis (Vols. 17, 20 & 23, 2007)
“Summary of Wholesale/Retail Services Protection System under the revised Japanese Trademark Law and its points to remember” in “Lexis Business Law Vol. 15, March 2007” published by LexisNexis
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