At the Trilateral Symposium on IP and Environmental Issues held on March 17, 2022, the European Patent Office (EPO), Japan Patent Office (JPO), and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), known as the Trilateral Offices, sent the message that the intellectual property (IP) system can contribute to carbon neutrality. The Symposium, held via videoconference, was hosted by the JPO and co-hosted by the EPO and the USPTO. It showcased three companies (one from each region) who have successfully used IP to develop and transfer carbon-neutral technologies. Participants also included the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), both as keynote speaker and moderator, and representatives of industry associations from the three regions as panelists.
The Symposium commenced with opening statements from the high-level executives of the Trilateral offices, followed by presentations by companies from Japan, Europe, and the United States, and Q&A sessions. The Symposium concluded with WIPO-moderated panels featuring discussions with representatives of industries in the three regions and officials of the Trilateral offices on innovation in carbon mitigating technologies and on the role of IP in facilitating market entry and securing investments in green technologies. The Symposium affirmed long-held views that the IP system can incentivize the development and dissemination of innovations that contribute to carbon neutrality.
Trilateral Joint Statement on IP and environmental issues
Further information on the results of this symposium is available on the website of the JPO below:
https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/news/ugoki/202203/2022031801.html