A government panel on judicial reform will consider a proposed revision to the Code of Civil Procedure that would allow oral arguments on patents and other intellectual property rights to be held behind closed doors in court, panel sources said Monday.
The Office for Promotion of Justice System Reform, led by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and comprising 18 Cabinet ministers, hopes to prevent secret business information from being leaked in courtroom hearings, they said.
The panel hopes the revision will protect Japanese firms' intellectual property rights and boost their global competitiveness.