WIPO Director General Wraps up Official Visit to Japan

March 22, 2017

WIPO Director General Francis Gurry concluded an official visit to Tokyo on February 2, 2017. During the visit, he held meetings with high-level officials, gave speeches, took part in a media interview, and visited a company that has been using WIPO services extensively.

Throughout the visit, the Director General had meetings with high-level officials from the Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), and Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), and discussed both global intellectual property issues, as well as how to better protect and utilize data.

Visit to industry

Gurry paid a visit to Asahi Glass Company (AGC), a Japanese global glass manufacturing company that has been filing around 300 PCT applications every year.

WIPO’s Director General is introduced to technology employed by Asahi Glass Company (AGC) — WIPO’s Director General (left) is introduced to technology employed by Asahi Glass Company (AGC). (Photo:WIPO)

Speeches

Together with Assistant Director General Yo Takagi, the Director General gave speeches at the JIPA Symposium and the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech). The theme for this year’s Symposium was “Drastic Business Innovation! The 4^th Industrial Revolution and Intellectual Property-Let’s Think about the New Business and IP in the IoT, Big Data, and AI Era”.

Director General speech at the JIPA Symposium — WIPO’s Director General gave a speech on how new technology influences the IP system at the JIPA Symposium. (Photo:WIPO)

At the end of the official visit, Gurry stopped by the WIPO Japan Office (WJO). The number of applications from Japan increased last year, especially for the Madrid and Hague Systems, and he recognized the effort by WJO staff in promoting WIPO services and supporting customers in Japan.

Find out more

Summary of the Director-General’s speech at Tokyo Tech
Article about the visit in Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (industry newspaper)