Researcher List

• Outline and Features
• Curriculum
• Three Courses
• Quick Master Program
• Problem Based Learning
• Subject Area

Outline and Features

Japan's first and unique faculty for the study of intellectual property and professional skills

For the continued growth of enterprises, it is of essential importance to protect the technology and design of the developed product as intellectual property. There is a strong demand for intellectual property professionals with legal expertise concerning patent and trademark, who are also versed in business and marketing as well as technologies that will lead to innovation. Responding to the social needs, the Faculty of Intellectual Property was born as the one and only academic institution in Japan where students can specialize in the study of intellectual property. As such, the faculty offers unique educational programs that are peculiar to the sole humanities department in a technological university.

The school provides three major courses in accordance with the students' future career paths

The faculty of Intellectual Property offers a wide range of learning opportunity for students to realize their goals and objectives. The three courses:

1. Intellectual Property Professional Course
2. Brand & Design Course
3. Business Management Course

Small-group instruction and individual guidance

One distinctive feature of learning at the Faculty of Intellectual Property is its seminar-based small-group instruction, which starts at the students' first year and guides them all the way through to graduation, providing personalized learning support as well as guidance for campus life and career planning.

Opportunities to learn science and technology subjects provided by other faculties

Intellectual property is a multidisciplinary field which requires a wide range of knowledge, for example, law, science and technology, economics, and business administration. Taking advantage of OIT having the Faculties of Engineering, Robotics and Design, Information Science and Technology, students in the Faculty of Intellectual Property can learn those subjects provided by the three faculties of OIT.

Curriculum

Japan is one of the leading countries promoting intellectual property rights, which is giving a competitive edge to Japanese industries in the global market as well as opportunities for sustainable growth. The Faculty of Intellectual Property offers a wide range of subjects providing the latest academic knowledge and practical skills for students hoping to become IP specialists. Our curriculum is designed for students to be able to learn a variety of subjects including law, economics, business administration, science and technology through four years.

First Year Curriculum

Besides general academic subjects, the first year students will learn basic intellectual property laws as well as fundamental laws including the civil law and the Japanese constitution. They are also required to learn basic business skills such as report writing and computer literacy.

Second Year Curriculum

The second year students are to select from the three courses provided in accordance with their future career paths:
(1) the Intellectual Property Professional Course,
(2) the Brand & Design Course, and
(3) the Business Management Course.
Then they will take particular subjects depending on their courses, for instance, basic issues in IP Laws (Patent Law, Utility Model Law, Design Law, Trademark Law, Unfair Competition Prevention Law), Economics, International Law, and so on. Practical skills will be taught in small-groups.

Third Year Curriculum

The third year students will study specific issues on IP as well as learn how to put their acquired knowledge into practice through problem based learning. The summer internship program will provide students with precious opportunities to communicate with patent attorneys and IP specialists in corporations and law firms, where they can learn the connection between academic knowledge and practical skills. Research seminars in small groups will start this year and each student will begin research on his/her chosen theme under the supervision of the faculty in charge.

Forth Year Curriculum

The fourth year students are required to complete their graduation studies under the supervision of the faculty in charge. They are also encouraged to take science and technology classes as well as special English classes for brushing up their knowledge and skills.

Three Courses

The Faculty of Intellectual Property offers three courses focusing on specific knowledge and skills required in the respective fields. The second year students and on are to belong to one of those courses in accordance with their goals and objectives.

IP Professional Course

This course focuses on the knowledge and skills for protecting and promoting the intellectual property rights such as patent right and copyright. Intellectual property are important human assets that are yielded by all kinds of creative activities including invention, music, art, etc., and thus deserve special protection for the promotion of industry and culture. This course aims at bringing up future IP specialists who can assume this important role in the global workplace.

Brand & Design Course

This course focuses on the knowledge and skills for utilizing intellectual property in business with a particular emphasis on brand, design, and contents. This course aims at bringing up future specialists with a profound understanding of the importance of brand, design, and contents in the market, and with expertise on how to utilize them in business.

Business Management Course

This course focuses on providing the knowledge and skills for managing the use of intellectual property with a wider perspective of business in general. This course aims at bringing up business professionals with special understanding of intellectual property and skills to utilize it in business.

Quick Master Program

The Faculty of Intellectual Property grants early admission to the Graduate School of Intellectual Property to the third year students with high academic achievement. This early admission system allows excellent students to earn both bachelor's degree and master's degree in Intellectual Property in five years' time

Problem Based Learning

Problem Based Learning is a method of active leaning aiming at enhancing students' critical thinking by engaging them in various problem solving activities. Through this approach, students will work together in groups and learn how to find, analyze, and solve open-ended real-world problems. They can choose specific projects suited for the curriculum course they belong to.

Patent Design Quest

Patent and design are the two most important intellectual properties for manufacturing companies. Students are expected to imagine themselves in a situation where invention or design development are actually taking place and think how they can help the company acquire patents or design rights and utilize them effectively.

International IP Quest

Due to globalization, the demand for obtaining IP rights abroad is ever more increasing. Students are expected to consider how to deal with international IP disputes and how to negotiate and obtain IP rights successfully in international settings.

Brand IP Quest

Brand and corporate image emerging from company logos and product names are extremely important IP assets. Students are expected to consider the ways to increase the value of those assets and come up with strong brand strategies.

Contents IP Quest

Music, movies, novels, comics, games, apps, etc. are referred to as contents. Students are expected to investigate the ways to promote the use of contents through licensing as well as the ways to prevent illegal copies from happening

Intellectual Property Management Quest

To gain the winning edge in the highly competitive international market, it is very important for a company to manage intellectual property effectively and distinguish itself from other companies. Students are expected to consider effective IP strategies for corporations to be successful in the international market.

Regional Intellectual Property Quest

Intellectual property like Kobe beef and many regional brands have been revitalized many regions. Students research and consider look for regional revitalization by using intellectual property.

Subject Area

Common subjects

Psychology, History, Economics, Sociology, Political science, Technology in Japan, Science of Arts and so on

Special subjects

• Law
  Civil Law, Constitution, Economic Law, Administrative Law Patent Law, Utility Model Law, Design Law, Trademark Law and Unfair Competition Prevention Law, Digital Contents and Intellectual Property, International Intellectual Property Law
• IP management
  Industrial Society and IP, Modern Technology and Patent, Patent Prosecution
• Economics and Business Administration
  Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Corporate Accounting, Corporate Strategy, Venture Business, Innovation and Business Strategy, Business Analysis
• Brand and Design
  Marketing, Brand strategy, Design strategy, Marketing and Brand, Industrial Design and IP
• Science, Technology and Engineering
  Primary Seminar, Development Seminar, Preparatory Research, Thesis Research
• Seminar
  Introduction to Electronics, Introduction to Biotechnology, Introduction of Current Mechanical Technology, Computer Technology

Intellectual property internship program in San Francisco and Silicon Valley

In October 2015, four students and one faculty member participated in the intellectual property internship program which took place in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
This program was carried out as the first attempt of "international PBL" in the faculty of intellectual property.
They visited a federal court and some of the best-known companies like Google Corporation, Cisco Company, and RPX Corporation, and they also attended a lecture at the Morrison Foster law office.
The lecture and interviews were all carried out in English, and they got a glimpse of real international IP business scene. They also investigated on current IP issues, for example patent troll problems, which turned out to be perceived quite differently from our point of view. The international IP internship program is a substantial program which provides students with excellent opportunities to learn English and the significance of IP through PBL. The internship program continues to be held every year.

The IP PR Project

The Intellectual Property Public Relation Project (IP PR Project) is an extracurricular student activity under the supervision of IP faculties. The project supports mainly SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and sole proprietorships according to their requests in terms of IP strategies, as well as campus laboratories and traditional regional industries such as Osaka Ranma. Currently, the Project has provided patent research services, brand developing consultations with market research and comprehensive IP consultations in R&D processes. In 2019, the IP PR Project members joined the collaborative research project in the flexible robotics laboratory and promoted the design thinking development of a bedsore preventive device. As a result, the Project has received the following awards:

2015　The second prize at the national convention of Shakaijin Kisoryoku Ikusei Grand Pris (the business person’s competency contest) with their proposal of “the Ikumen Product Project (a project for the R&D of father’s goods).”
2016　The top two awards at the Chizai Katsuyo Idea Contest in Kansai area (Kansai regional competition of ideas for utilizing IPs).
2017　The first prize at the Kinki regional convention of Shakaijin Kisoryoku Ikusei Grand Pris (the business person’s competency contest) with their proposal of “Business Strategy on Rocket Engine for Preventing Space Debris.”
2017　The first prize at Ai-SPEC sponsored by the Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry.

This project aims at not only deepening student’s IP understandings and enhancing students’ career development but also contributing to the local society with academic knowledge.

Enjoy pre-graduation thesis study at Faculty Seminars

On average seven students are allocated in each faculty. Students can choose a seminar according to their research interests. Allocated students are expected to look into various topics. For example students discuss the corporate IP strategies. The study topics include: IP activities in the field of pharmaceuticals, electronics, automobiles and machinery contrasting the differences and similarities among them ; patent litigations in the semiconductor business in Japan in comparison with the U.S. cases; the comparative study of the utility-model protections in Japan and China; harmonization of trademark protections.
When a student argues that the amount of damages in the U.S. patent cases is too large compared with Japan, another student disagrees by pointing out the different ways of calculating damages and the influence of the jury system in the U.S. Candid discussions go on and various opinions are exchanged. Heated and frank discussions continue. Faculty seminars tackle the other topics in the same manner and the discussions continue with the joy of studying. As such, the atmosphere is warm. Faculty seminars provide students with excellent opportunities to learn how to look at facts objectively and think critically through debate. This helps students to develop their own views and enables them to draw up graduation theses by the end of the year.

Challenging the Chinese Patent System

It may be no exaggeration to say that Chinese IP issues are one of the major concerns for every business person. Professor Murakawa's seminar focuses on this hot area which includes the comparative study of patent systems in Japan and China. This seminar enjoys the benefit of a number of published materials thanks to the long-term research by Prof. Kawahara. In addition, the student members have easy access to the databases related to the Chinese patent act and take a special lesson from a data-research expert.

Mastering IP Strategies for Ventures Business

To be blunt, IP strategy is the must-have for ventures. The key element of this strategy is how to evaluate the worth and value of the entity's intellectual property.
Professor Hayashi is one of a few experienced experts in this area. In Prof. Hayashi's seminar, the students analyze individual companies' strategy and acquire basic skills of intellectual property evaluation. The seminar provides many opportunities to visit venture companies and to meet entrepreneurs.

Other themes (examples);

• Patent Prosecution, Administrative and Judicial Process
• Standardization and Intellectual Property
• IP Information Search and Analysis
• Information Technology and Strategic Management of Enterprises
• Patent Management and Strategy in Japanese Pharmaceutical and Bio-Industries
• Criteria of Patentability in Japan Patent Office and Courts
• IP Management, Enforcement and License
• Economical Evaluation of Intellectual Property
• Management and Strategy of IP Professionals
• Research, Development and IP Strategy in Japanese Enterprises
• History of Science and Technology in Japan and East Asia
• Copyright, Digital Contents and Freedom of Expression
• Intellectual Property Litigations and Alternative Dispute Settlements
• Influence of Intellectual Property System from Economics Perspective
• Statistical Analysis of IP Information
• IP License, Academia-Industry Collaboration and Contract
• International Law and Intellectual Property