History of the JIPAC

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  • History of the JIPAC

The Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center (JIPAC) is an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) (1) organization, originally founded in March 1998 as the Industrial Property Rights Arbitration Center by the Japan Patent Attorneys Association and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations for the purpose of resolving industrial property rights disputes. The Center began its business on April 1 of the same year.

In August 2000, the Center concluded an agreement with the Japan Network Information Center (JPNIC) and became an approved organization for resolving disputes related to JP domain names registered by JPNIC (2). Then in April 2001, the Center was renamed the Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center and expanded the scope of its business from industrial property rights to intellectual property rights.

In March 2004, the Center started to offer a new service for providing " Advisory Opinion on Infringement" and "Advisory Opinion on Validity". In April 2011, the Center started to offer a new service for providing "Freedom-to-Operate Opinion".

Since November 1, 2012, the Center has been approved as an ADR organization certified under ADR act in Japan (Certification No. 119)※3. The Center are providing their services at 8 offices including the Head-quarters at Tokyo, the branches in Kansai region and at Nagoya, and subbranches in Hokkaido, Tohoku, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu regions.

※1. Alternative Dispute Resolution is a method of resolving disputes by mediation, arbitration or similar means without resorting to litigation. ADR may be conducted either by a public organization or by a private organization.

※2. On April 1, 2002, JPNIC transferred its registration business to Japan Registry Services Co., Ltd.(JPRS).

※3. After the approval as a certified ADR organization, interruption of prescription can be argued based on a request for arbitration or mediation to the Center.

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