Intellectual Property Protection for AI-Related Inventions in Japan

To increase the possibility of patent entitled of artificial intelligence related inventions at the Japanese patent office, this paper analyzes the Japanese patent act and patent examination guidelines. The approach for assessing whether a computer related invention belongs to a eligible subject-matter includes two steps. The first step is whether a computer related invention meets the definition of an "invention" that is "creation of a technical idea utilizing the laws of nature" . The second step is whether a computer related invention meets "idea based on the standpoint of software" . From the perspective of patent analysis, Japan's artificial intelligence technology is leading the world, second only to the United States. In this field, the Japanese patent office is one of the most important intellectual property offices, and its legislation and practice of patent eligibility review for artificial intelligence related inventions have an important impact on the world.