Japan and Intellectual Property Rights

My 17th July lecture entitled "Japan and Developing Nations: Expanding and Redefining Trade and IPR Safeguards" is now on the UCIP homepage at the follwing web address http://ucip01.ucip.jp/procenter/portal/card/EDUCATION
They have translated the speech from English into Japanese. So the homepage contains both my English text, my Japanese synopsis and their Japanese translation of the entire speech. The speech was well received and had many positive responses. UCIP was quite happy with it. Many Japanese business professionals, university experts and my students from Soka and Keio attended. Here is a synopsis in English and Japanese:

Japan and Developing Nations:
Expanding and Redefining Trade and IPR Safeguards

by
Mukesh Williams

Abstract in English

In the last 15 years trade amongst countries in Asia has increased generating issues related to non-tariff barriers and protection of intellectual property rights. Developed countries doing business with developing countries find themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with a weak civil society, lack of awareness of IPR culture and cumbersome administrative and legal process in developing countries. At the same time developing countries find the exorbitant price of IPR goods beyond their reach. There is a strong need to expand and redefine IPR rules to make them flexible to benefit everyone and not just big corporations from the developed world. As a developed nation Japan wants to do business with developing countries such as China, India, Vietnam and Thailand and at the same time protect IPR with strong redress systems. Japan must use the business and academic machineries in its own country and Asia to generate more egalitarian IPR awareness and negotiate IPR treaties that can protect business and the poor and create a win-win situation for all. In 2008, Japan’s trade with India was 5 billion yen while that with Vietnam 1.45 trillion yen, Thailand more than 2.8 trillion and with China 25.7 trillion yen. There are great possibilities to explore in the domain of trade and IPR with India, Vietnam and Thailand in the near future.

Abstract in Japanese　

先の15年間のアジア諸国間における貿易の増加とともに、知的財産権の保護や非関税障壁に関する問題が増えてきています。途上国とビジネス面での関わりを持つ先進国は、現地において、貧弱な市民社会制度や、知的財産権に対する意識の欠如、複雑な事務的・法的手続き制度に対処する際、不利な立場にあることを自覚します。同時に、途上国も、知的財産関連商品が、購入不可能なほどの法外な価格であることを知ります。先進国の大企業のみならず、全ての人々が利益を享受できるような知的財産権に関する規則・法律を拡大・再定義することは、強く求められています。先進国として、日本は、中国、インド、ベトナム、タイのような途上国とのビジネス関係の構築、及び、強固な制度による知的財産権の保護を望んでいます。知的財産権に対する平等主義的な意識を喚起し、企業と貧しい人々の保護とWin-Win状況を実現することが可能な知的財産権に関する協定・条約を締結するために、日本は、自国とアジア諸国のビジネス・学術機構を活用しなければなりません。2008年の日本とインド、ベトナム、タイ、中国の貿易額は、それぞれ、50億円、1兆4,500億円、2兆9,000億円、25兆7,000億円でありました。近い将来、貿易と知的財産権の側面において、日本、インド、ベトナム、タイの関係がさらに深まる可能性は高いでしょう。



MUKESH WILLIAMS