Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 6 (Wa) 70407 [Filling material for electronic cigarettes] <Presiding Judge Sugiura>
Updated: 2 days ago
Article information
Article type: Case note
Category: Patents
Topics: Patent corrections
First published on this website: October 2, 2026
Case number (as stated in the source): Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 6 (Wa) 70407
Display and classification checked: October 2, 2026 (not a re-review of the legal analysis)
Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 6 (Wa) 70407 [Filling material for electronic cigarettes] <Presiding Judge Sugiura>
Element B—“cuts formed in the sheet-like member along the first direction”—was not satisfied.
• The dictionary meaning of “cut”;
• The specification's examples of cutter blades and similar means for making cuts;
• The effects obtained by controlling cut length and the like: preventing filling material from falling out and stabilizing the smoking experience.
⇒ “Cuts” means a structure or state formed by deliberately and actively cutting the surface of the sheet-like member with a blade.
Three linear fractures along the longitudinal direction were observed in the defendant's tobacco substrate. However, these were tears or cracks created along the ridges or valleys of the corrugated tobacco sheet during crimping and gathering it into a tobacco rod.
⇒ Element not satisfied.
The plaintiff argued, based on dictionary meanings and articles about the defendant's explanatory presentations, that “cuts” were not limited to those made with a blade. The court rejected this: the dictionary meaning also relates to the act of cutting, and the specification likewise assumes blade formation.
Original article: https://lnkd.in/euwS8z2n
Related cases and materials
Update and correction history
Substantive corrections and supplements are recorded separately from classification, related-article, and display maintenance.
October 2, 2026: First publication of the author's LinkedIn text. Article type, classification, issue tags, source, and consultation guide were added.
Consultation and inquiries
October 2, 2026: Updated topic tags.
Comments