Tag - intellectual-property

 
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July 06, 2025
 

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Masimo's headquarters in Irvine, California. The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled earlier this year that the Apple Watch violates two Masimo patents related to blood-oxygen sensing and imposed an import ban on the Ultra 2 and Series 9 models.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 28, 2023
The email to Tim Cook that set the Apple watch saga in motion
Masimo, based in Irvine, California, is the rare company to wound Apple in a patent dispute.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 devices displayed in Los Angeles. Apple said on Dec. 18 it will stop selling some of its smartwatch models in the United States while it fights a patent battle over technology for detecting blood oxygen levels.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 19, 2023
Apple plans rescue for $17 billion watch biz in face of U.S. ban
If the ban holds, Apple is working on a range of legal and technical options.
Rapid improvements in image generation have spurred artists to push back on generative AI startups, which ingest vast troves of internet data in order to generate content like pictures or text.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 6, 2023
Dall-E 3 is so good it’s stoking a revolt against AI scraping
It hasn’t helped much that OpenAI’s new process for artists who want to exclude their data from the system is time-consuming and complex.
Nippon Steel has dropped lawsuits against Toyota and Mitsui & Co. over electrical steel sheet patents.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 3, 2023
Nippon Steel drops patent lawsuits against Toyota and Mitsui
Having two of Japan's manufacturing giants locked in a rare court battle signified the high stakes involved in materials production.
Speech-generating AI works by sifting through reams of data, categorizing how people speak then using an algorithm, to replicate human vocal patterns and speech characteristics.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2023
Whose voice is it anyway? Actors take on AI copycats
Artists around the world are joining forces to protect their jobs, and their souls, from the ramifications of AI that sounds just like them.
FBI Director Christopher Wray
WORLD / Politics
Oct 18, 2023
Five Eyes chiefs warn on China's 'theft' of intellectual property
From quantum technology and robotics to biotechnology and artificial intelligence, China was stealing secrets in various sectors, officials said.
The fast-growing field of generative AI has raised novel intellectual property issues.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 22, 2023
AI-generated art cannot receive copyrights, U.S. court says
Only works with human authors can receive copyrights, a judge ruled Friday.
AI apps on a smartphone screen. In a joint statement, Japanese organizations said that current generative AI creates content based on the analysis of large amounts of data collected from the internet without the consent of and payments to copyright holders.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 17, 2023
Japanese publishers voice copyright concerns over generative AI
The statement said that Japan's copyright law is more favorable to AI learning than those of other countries.
Sony's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2023
Sony and other top music labels sue over Sinatra 78s stored online
The companies include a list of 2,749 recordings in the lawsuit, including songs by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2023
Japanese public institutes have relaxed attitude about data protection, expert says
The warning comes a week after the arrest by Tokyo police of a Chinese researcher for an alleged data leak.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 22, 2023
Organization founded to create guidelines for use of AI image generators
An AI-generated image tool allows users to create images based on written descriptions and learning from other images available online, including those made by artists.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 11, 2023
The music industry has an AI problem
“Heart on My Sleeve,” using AI generated voices of famous artists, was built by a bot and way too believable. Was it theft?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 12, 2023
Move over 'Minions,' it’s Mario time at the movies
The iconic plumber Mario is set to make more at the box office than any animated movie. But don’t expect a Nintendo Cinematic Universe just yet.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 11, 2023
'Super Mario Bros. Movie' success gives boost to Nintendo's IP push
The much-anticipated movie has made a record-breaking debut at the box office.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2023
South Korean court backs Mitsubishi Heavy patents seizure
A South Korean court has approved the seizure of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries patent rights in wartime labor dispute.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 31, 2023
First Nintendo theme park in U.S. highlights diversification push
The video games-maker is branching into overseas theme parks amid a push to better harness the company’s intellectual property treasure trove.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 25, 2022
Top court rules music students not subject to copyright fees
The copyright law protects the right to perform music to be heard by the public. The focus of the lawsuit was whether preforming music during a lesson falls under that protection.
JAPAN
Sep 3, 2021
Japan's new digital chief called out for image copyright gaffe
A blog post by Yoko Ishikura published last displayed a low-resolution image with a 'Pixta' watermark, a breach of the stock photo platform's terms of service.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 7, 2021
Biden's vaccine-patent gambit turns up the heat on drugmakers
By supporting the World Trade Organization process, the U.S. president can satisfy progressives while engaging in talks on a waiver that may never reach consensus.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 6, 2021
In a reversal, U.S. backs giving poorer countries access to COVID-19 vaccine patents and tech
'This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures,' Biden's top trade negotiator said in a statement
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

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