A new EU-Japan initiative places intellectual property at the centre of cooperation on innovation, enforcement, and AI-related change.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office has launched the EU-Japan IP Action in Tokyo, marking the first dedicated intellectual property cooperation project between the European Union and Japan.
The initiative is intended to strengthen the protection and promotion of intellectual property rights through technical cooperation, policy dialogue, and industry engagement. The launch also highlighted how AI is reshaping innovation, competition, and IP enforcement in the digital environment.
EUIPO Executive Director João Negrão said: ‘Today’s event marks a milestone: the official launch of the EU–Japan IP Action. As the first dedicated cooperation project on intellectual property between our two regions, organised by the EUIPO and co-funded by the European Union, it carries real promise – for trade, for innovation, and for growth on both sides.’
The launch brought together officials from the EU and Japan, including representatives of the Japan Patent Office and Japan’s Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters. Speakers described the initiative as a new phase of cooperation focused on streamlining IP processes and ensuring that legal frameworks keep pace with industrial and technological change.
A panel discussion examined the impact of AI and large language models on intellectual property, including questions of authorship, ownership of AI-generated inventions, and copyright enforcement. Industry representatives also discussed practical challenges related to AI governance and anti-piracy.