Reeko IMAMURA
Reeko IMAMURA
Patent Attorney / Of Counsel

Background / Career
- 1984
- Graduated from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- 1985
- Joined the Japan Patent Office (JPO)
- 2002-2005
- Judicial Research Official, Tokyo High Court
- 2005
- Judicial Research Official, Intellectual Property High Court
- 2005-2008
- Director, Pharmaceutical Compounds Division, Patent Examination Department III, JPO
- 2008-2010
- Director, Biotechnology Division, Patent Examination Department III, JPO
- 2010-2011
- Director, Examination Standards Office, JPO
- 2012-2013
- Chief Administrative Judge (Pharmaceuticals), Trial and Appeal Department, JPO
- 2013-2015
- Executive Chief Administrative Judge (Biotechnology), Trial and Appeal Department, JPO
- 2015-2017
- Director-General, Patent Examination Department III (Chemistry, Life Science, and Material Science) , JPO
- 2017-2019
- Director-General, Trial and Appeal Department, JPO
- Jul 2019
- Retired from the JPO; Registered as a Patent Attorney
- Aug 2019
- Joined SOEI Patent & Law Firm
- Apr 2021
- Registered as a Specific Infringement Litigation Representation Attorney
Papers and Publications
"Registration of Extension of Patent Term," New Trends in Business Law: Latest Trends in IP Law and Bankruptcy Law – Essays in Honor of Professor Eiji Katayama's 70th Birthday, Seirin Shoin (2020)
"Description Requirements for Specifications and Claims," Toward the Development of an IP-Based Nation – Essays in Honor of Professor Minoru Takeda's 80th Birthday, Japan Institute for Promoting Invention and Innovation (2013)
"Revised Examination Guidelines for Extension of Patent Term," AIPPI, Vol.57, No.10 (2012)
"Use Inventions" and "Inventions Including Limitations by Numerical Values or Parameters," Legal Theory and Issues in Patent Examination and Trials (Supervised by Minoru Takeda), Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (2002)
Lectures and lecturers
"Toward Appropriate Use of Divisional Applications: From Basics to Applications," Yamaguchi University (July 2024)
"The Role of Trials and Appeals," Administrative Judge Course Training (FY2022–FY2025), Japan Patent Office
"System for Extension of Patent Term," Pharmaceutical Industry Legal Affairs Research Group (February 2022)
"Extension of Patent Term," Tokyo Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (February 2021)
"Invalidation Trial System (Case Study)," JPO/IPR Training (Appeal Course) (FY2020–FY2025), JIPII Asia-Pacific Industrial Property Center
"Patent Examination Practice (Judgment/Inventive Step) – Pharmaceuticals," JPO/IPR Training (FY2023), JIPII Asia-Pacific Industrial Property Center
"Invalidation Trial Practice," JPO/IPR Training (Patent Examination Practice (OPET) Course) (FY2020–FY2022), JIPII Asia-Pacific Industrial Property Center
"Invalidation Trial System," JPO/IPR Training (Appeal Course) (FY2019), JIPII Asia-Pacific Industrial Property Center
Adjunct Professor at the Waseda University Graduate School of Law (2013-2014)
Other Activities
2023- Member of the Working Group of the Examination Standards Expert Committee, Subcommittee on Patent System, Intellectual Property Committee, Industrial Structure Council, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
2024- Member of the Subcommittee on Patent System, Intellectual Property Committee, Industrial Structure Council, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
