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JPO to Hold 22nd Design System Subcommittee Meeting to Discuss Virtual Goods and Design Protections

2026-07-21

The Japan Patent Office (JPO) announced that the 22nd Design System Subcommittee of the Intellectual Property Committee (Industrial Structure Council) will be held on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, from 15:00 to 17:00 JST.

Building on deliberations from the previous fiscal year, the upcoming meeting will focus on deeper discussions regarding the following key areas:

1. Scope of Protection and Treatment of Avatars and Characters

* Refinement of the definition of "virtual goods" in digital spaces.
* Alignment with the legal concept of an "article" under the Design Act and coordination with copyright regulations regarding avatars and characters.

2. Scope of Exploitation Acts and Identification of Infringing Entities

* Rules governing the distribution stage of virtual items.
* Enforceability of design rights during the "usage stage," such as user activities or object placement in virtual spaces.
* Clarification of "as a business" in virtual environments, covering both commercial and non-commercial offerings.

3. Assessment Methods for Design Similarity

* Comparison between "Option A" (evaluating purpose, function, and shape/appearance for legal consistency) and "Option B" (evaluating shape/appearance only for rights enforcement).
* Narrowing down the policy direction by balancing examination predictability with clearance burdens on creators.