July.27.2023　U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel hosted a reception commemorating “World Intellectual Property Day” August.01.2023

Tokyo – United States. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel hosted a reception commemorating “World Intellectual Property Day” at the Ambassador’s residence on July 27, 2023. The reception was attended by representatives of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Japan Office and intellectual property professionals from the legislative, administrative, judicial, academic, and industrial sectors.

In his speech, Ambassador Emanuel spoke to the audience about the importance of intellectual property rights. He praised the efforts of Intellectual Property professionals in the U.S. and Japan, and recognized everyone in the audience as a core part of that effort. He emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship and concluded the speech by lauding the U.S. and Japan as models of freedom, and reiterating his hopes for the U.S. and Japan to continue to cooperate culturally and economically.

Mr. Tomoki Sawai, Director of WIPO Japan Office, referred to the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8 which stipulates to promote the progress of science and the arts through intellectual property as well as Ambassador Emmanuel’s words, “the U.S. and Japan are models of freedom” in his remarks. He said, “Freedom is what encourages creativity and invention and enriches people’s lives. Therefore, freedom is essential to the promotion of IP systems. I expect the U.S. and Japan to be a model for the world in the field of intellectual property.”

On behalf of Motion Picture Association (MPA), Mr. Masami Takahashi, President & Japan representative of Warner Bros. Japan and Country Manager of Warner Bros. Discovery Japan delivered remarks highlighting recent blockbuster films such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Barbie, and concluded, “They have made the value and importance of IP clearer than ever before. MPA will continue the effort to demonstrate the importance of IP and again we thank you for all your support.”

Finally, Mr. Yoshinari Shimatani, President of Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, and Representative Director, Chairperson of Toho Company Limited. gave a toast on behalf of the Japanese film industry, and said, “The Japanese film industry has learned a lot from the U.S. film industry and has grown. We look forward to working with the MPA to continue to enrich the film industry with fresh and interesting films one after another.”

Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Japan International Motion Picture Copyright Association, Inc. are pleased to have provided our full cooperation in organizing this reception.

World Intellectual Property Day, established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000, is now in its 23rd year. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo for hosting the reception, which provided an opportunity for many to learn about the importance of promoting and protecting intellectual property.