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 initiative, on 27 April 2026 in Tokyo, marking a new chapter in the IP partnership between the European Union (EU) and Japan. The Action is a collaborative initiative aimed at enhancing 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, delivered a video message highlighting 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 the EU and Japan, organised by the EUIPO and co-funded by the European Commission, it carries real promise – for trade, for innovation, and for growth on both sides.”
Keynote speeches were delivered by the International Cooperation/CPD Deputy Director of the EUIPO, and the Secretary-General of the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters in Japan, as well as the Head of the Japan Patent Office (JPO). 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 artificial intelligence (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, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Agency for Cultural Affairs (MEXT), debated the complexities of authorship, ownership of AI-generated inventions, and copyright enforcement. The European Business Council (EBC) and Japanese industry representatives (JPAA, JTA and JIPA) 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, see: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/about-us/the-office/what-we-do/ai-at-the-euipo.