Shimizu Misao
Partner
Practice Areas：
Intellectual Property Rights
Dispute Resolution
Taxation
Pharmaceutical Law
Languages：
Japanese
English
Careers
1972
Senior High School at Otsuka, Tokyo University of Education（currently: Senior High School at Otsuka, University of Tsukuba）
1977
The University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law
1979
The Legal Training and Research Institute
1979–1982
Yokohama District Court
1982–1985
Tokushima District and Family Court
1985–1989
Tokyo Family Court
1989–1992
Tokyo National Tax Tribunal
1992–1996
Tsuyama District and Family Court, Yokkaichi Branch
1996–2000
Tokyo High Court (Intellectual Property Division)
2000–2003
Naha District and Family Court (Division Supervisor)
2003–2004
Tokyo High Court (Intellectual Property Division)
2004–2010
Tokyo District Court (Intellectual Property Division, Division Supervisor)
2010–2011
Intellectual Property High Court
2011–2013
Chief Judge, Tokushima District and Family Court
2013–2017
Division Chief, Intellectual Property High Court
2017–2018
Chief Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
2018
Admitted to the Bar (Daini Tokyo Bar Association)
2018
Patent Attorney Registration (Japan Patent Attorneys Association)
2018
Yanagida & Partners
2018–2024
Part-time lecturer, Waseda University, Graduate School of Law
2018–Present
Secretary, Intellectual Property Center, Japan Federation of Bar Associations
2019–Present
Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center, JP Domain Name Dispute Resolution Panelist
2019–2022
Visiting Professor, Keio University Graduate School of Law
2019–Present
Outside Director, AI Samurai Inc.
2019–Present
Civil Conciliation Commissioner, Tokyo District Court
Awards
"Spring 2025 Decorations" (Cabinet Office) Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays
2025
Nikkei Inc.'s "Lawyers Ranked by Companies (2022)" Intellectual Property: 5th Place
2022
Publications
“In-Depth Examination: Should Virtual Designs Be Protected under the Design Act?” Intellectual Property Law 2025–2026 Nihon Hyoronsha
2026
"Portraits of Decorated Recipients" and "72 Years in a Life Carried Away" Monthly Patent July Issue (Vol. 78)
2025
"Twenty Years of Intellectual Property System Reform and Future Prospects" Law & Technology No. 107 (April 2025 issue)
2025
"On Court Adjudication in Copyright Infringement Litigation" Copyright No. 753 (January 2024 issue)
2024
Toward the Future of Diversifying Intellectual Property Litigation: A Festschrift in Honor of Professor Misao Shimizu on His 70th Birthday Nihon Kajo Publishing (October 2023)
2023
"On Unpredictable and Remarkable Effects in Inventive Step: A Case Study of the Supreme Court Decision of August 27, 2019 (‘Local Ophthalmic Formulation’ Case)”," Published in the Annual Report of the Japan Industrial Property Law Association (No. 44)
2021
"Report on the FY2020 Industrial Economy Research Commissioned Project (Economic and Industrial Policy/Fourth Industrial Revolution Related Research Expenses) (Survey on Recent T Trends in the Competitive Environment and Competition Policy, etc.)" Commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Contractor: Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.)
2021
"On 'Commonplace Expressions' in Copyrighted Works" Copyright No. 717 (January 2021 issue)
2021
Seminar
"Current State and Future of Intellectual Property Disputes in Japan" 20th Indonesia Legal System Development Support Program Training Session in Japan (Coordinated by the National Research Institute of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Justice / Hosted by JICA)
2025
"On the 'Normative Evaluation' of Infringement Acts: Focusing on the Dwango Supreme Court Decision" Intellectual Property Seminar (Organized by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations Legal Research Foundation)
2025
"Explanation of Recent Important Court Decisions Concerning Patent Law" 2021 Japan Federation of Bar Associations Live Practical Training ("Intellectual Property Training Session 2021 - Based on the Latest Trends in Intellectual Property Practice")
2025
"Recent Intellectual Property Court Cases Focusing on Inventive Step and Communication with the Courts" 2020Patent Forum (Hosted by the Japan Photonics Industry Technology Promotion Association, held remotely via online conference system)
2021
"On Significant Effects in Novelty: Focusing on the Supreme Court's August 27, 2019 Judgment in the 'Local Ophthalmic Prescription Case'" 2020 Annual Symposium of the Japan Industrial Property Law Association (Hosted by the Japan Industrial Property Law Association)
2020
"Examining the Novelty of Patent Inventions Through Case Law" Patent Division October Regular Meeting (Shizuoka Prefecture Invention Association, Industrial Property Rights Practice Research Subcommittee)
2020
"Patent Wars: Tech Strategy for Japan to Catch Up with the US and China" AI/SUM & TRANSUM with CEATEC 2020 (Hosted by Nikkei Inc.)
2020
"The Positioning of 'Commonplace Expressions' in the Examination of Originality" CRIC Monthly Copyright Research Meeting (Hosted by the Copyright Information Center (CRIC))
2020
