Comment on Professor Nawa's Paper

Hajime YAMADA (Professor, Toyo University and Deputy Executive Director, GLOCOM)

Here is some information related to Professor Nawa's paper: "Ethnic Heritage and Intellectual Property Rights".

The Government of Japan decided on the Program for Promoting the Creation, Protection and Exploitation of Intellectual Properties at the Fifth Meeting of Intellectual Property Policy Headquarters on July 8, 2003.

The Program includes promotion of creating intellectual property at universities and other academic institutions, establishment of the Law to Ensure Prompt Examination of Patent Applications, establishment of an intellectual property high court to enhance a dispute settlement system, reinforcement of measures against counterfeits and pirated copies, and expansion of the media content business.

This decision is a move in Japan to emphasize the importance of intellectual property rights. Further information will be given from the government web site (http://www.kantei.go.jp) in English.