EUIPO Launched New EU-Japan Intellectual Property Action
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has officially launched the EU-Japan intellectual property (IP) Action, on 27 April 2026 in Tokyo, marking the first cooperation on IP between the European Union (EU) and Japan. The Action aims to enhance the protection and promotion of IP rights through technical cooperation, policy dialogue, and industry engagement between the European Union and Japan.
The event drew policymakers, and industry figures to map out a shared agenda for IP cooperation amid rapid technological changes. Mr. João Negrão, Executive Director of the EUIPO, highlighted the importance of a robust IP framework in fostering innovation and protecting creators in a globalized market.
“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.”
Mr. Thomas Gnocchi, Deputy Head of Mission at the EU Delegation to Japan, welcomed the launch of the intellectual property project with Japan, at a time when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries and societies. It will benefit both the EU and Japan as we have engaged in a Digital Partnership to align our respective strengths to foster technological progress and fair competition. The Action will support cooperation on key topics from tackling IP enforcement in the digital space, using AI in IP and providing support to SME’s.
Keynote speeches were delivered by Mr. Yasuyuki Kasai, Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (JPO), Mr. Hirohiko Nakahara, Secretary-General of the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters and Mr. Antonio Berengue, Deputy Director, International Cooperation, EUIPO. The speakers collectively underscored that the "new phase" of this cooperation will focus on streamlining IP processes and ensuring that the legal landscape evolves alongside industrial advancements.
A multi-stakeholder panel discussion explored the challenges of the IP world with the rise of AI and Large Language Models. As Generative AI continues to disrupt traditional notions of creativity, the panel, featuring experts from the EUIPO, including the EUIPO AI Coordinator, JPO and the Agency for Cultural Affairs (MEXT), debated the complexities of authorship, ownership of AI-generated inventions, and copyright enforcement. Japanese industry representatives contributed practical perspectives on the challenges rights holders face when navigating AI governance and anti-piracy in the digital age.
The launch event continued with a two-day conference on Generative AI gathering representatives from business in the EU and Japan, the public sector officials and academia discussing some of the AI-driven challenges in detail, emphasizing the need for IP frameworks that can keep pace with innovation, and exploring generative AI's implications for creators and rights holders. Discussions centred on ensuring that those whose work feeds into AI training receive fair compensation, and on building the legal, contractual, and technological structures to make that possible. Particular attention was given to creative industries such as manga, animation and music, with speakers from Japan and Europe, including the General Incorporated Association ABJ (Authorized Books of Japan), the French Civil Society of Phonographic Producers (SCPP), the Spanish General Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE), European performers' collective management AEPO-ARTIS and Japanese video game developer BANDAI NAMCO Studios.
The event served as the first of many steps under the EU-Japan IP Action to ensure that the EU and Japan remain at the forefront of global innovation and intellectual property protection, with both parties aiming to build IP governance around human-centred values. For more information about the EUIPO’s AI strategy in a responsible, transparent and people-centred manner: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/about-us/the-office/what-we-do/ai-at-the-euipo.
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The EU and Japan have launched the EU-Japan IP Action, a new initiative implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to deepen cooperation on intellectual property.
Experts from government, industry and academia gathered for the launch conference to discuss the future of IP, including the challenges and opportunities posed by generative AI.
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For more information about the EUIPO’s human-centric AI strategy, see: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/about-us/the-office/what-we-do/ai-at-the-euipo.