Topic guide: Claim interpretation and equivalents

Sep 29

9 min read

Updated: 6 hours ago

Article type: Topic guide

Display and classification checked: 2026-09-30

First published on this website: 2026-09-30

Explore articles on claim interpretation, the doctrine of equivalents and product-by-process claims. Consult the individual articles and their sources for the facts and discussion of each case.

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Articles

Osaka District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 7055

Tokyo District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 70460

[Article / Patents] Examining the patentability of impurity claims (Toru Matsuoka, Patent, July 2024)

Tokyo District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 70129

IP High Court, Case No. 2024 (Gyo-ke) 10077

IP High Court, Case No. 2025 (Ne) 10048

IP High Court, Case No. 2025 (Gyo-ke) 10037

IP High Court, Case No. 2025 (Gyo-ke) 10049

Osaka District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 2606

Tokyo District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 70225

Tokyo District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 70478

The Supreme Court's Product-by-Process Judgments

[US] Focus Prod v. Kartri Sales (CAFC, September 30, 2025)

[Article / Patents] Examination of clarity assessments in recent court decisions (Kentaro Okada et al., Patent, June 2025)

[Article / European Patents] Differences between Japanese and European patent systems requiring attention (Kazuhiro Nomura, Patent, September 2025)

IP High Court, Reiwa 5 (Gyo-Ke) 10149 [Multi-branched heat exchanger with independent baffles] <Presiding Judge Miyasaka>

IP High Court, Reiwa 6 (Ne) 10038 [Motorcycle brake control device] <Presiding Judge Honda>

[Article / Patents] Points to note when filing food-use inventions in different countries (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Committee, Patent, December 2025)

Browse the blog by jurisdiction, field and topic

Articles added on October 7, 2026

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70445 [Method for Producing Tea with a High γ-Aminobutyric Acid Content] <Presiding Judge Shibuya>

[United States] FMC v. Sharada (CAFC, August 1, 2025)

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 8403 [Ventilation structure beneath a coping] <Takemiya>

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 4 (Wa) 11025 [Porous air-permeable bag containing food for mites]

[United States] LAB v. Qiagen (CAFC, August 13, 2025)

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70346 [Wireless scuff plate] <Nakashima>

Tokyo District Court order, Reiwa 5 (Yo) 30402 [Siphon rain-gutter system] <Nakashima>

[IP Practice Online] An enjoyable discussion of patent claim interpretation (Attorney Masakazu Kobayashi)

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 10237 [Tool for slaughtering wild animals]

[New on YouTube] May 28, 2025 (IP LAB)

New articles — 2026-10-11

Explore by type of material

The articles already linked in this guide are grouped below by type of material. Each link opens the website introduction; follow its source link for the original material.

Publication review

[Article / Patents] Examining the patentability of impurity claims (Toru Matsuoka, Patent, July 2024)

[Article / Patents] Examination of clarity assessments in recent court decisions (Kentaro Okada et al., Patent, June 2025)

[Article / European Patents] Differences between Japanese and European patent systems requiring attention (Kazuhiro Nomura, Patent, September 2025)

[Article / Patents] Points to note when filing food-use inventions in different countries (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Committee, Patent, December 2025)

Case note

Tokyo District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 70129

Osaka District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 7055

Tokyo District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 70460

IP High Court, Case No. 2024 (Gyo-ke) 10077

IP High Court, Case No. 2025 (Ne) 10048

IP High Court, Case No. 2025 (Gyo-ke) 10037

IP High Court, Case No. 2025 (Gyo-ke) 10049

Osaka District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 2606

Tokyo District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 70225

Tokyo District Court, Case No. 2024 (Wa) 70478

The Supreme Court's Product-by-Process Judgments

[US] Focus Prod v. Kartri Sales (CAFC, September 30, 2025)

IP High Court, Reiwa 5 (Gyo-Ke) 10149 [Multi-branched heat exchanger with independent baffles] <Presiding Judge Miyasaka>

IP High Court, Reiwa 6 (Ne) 10038 [Motorcycle brake control device] <Presiding Judge Honda>

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 12280 [Seawall] <Presiding Judge Takemiya>

IP High Court, Reiwa 5 (Gyo-Ke) 10105 [Electronic money remittance method] <Presiding Judge Nakadaira>

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70738 [Wine cellar] <Presiding Judge Takahashi>

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 10237 [Tool for slaughtering wild animals] <Presiding Judge Takemiya>

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70079 [Vehicle guidance system] <Presiding Judge Kokubu>

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70380 [Rod-shaped light] <Presiding Judge Takahashi>

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70449 [Fastening hardware] <Presiding Judge Takahashi>

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70527 [Cyclic protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors] <Presiding Judge Sugiura>

IP High Court, Reiwa 6 (Ne) 10069 [Toilet rolls, etc.] <Judge Nakadaira>

IP High Court, Reiwa 7 (Ne) 10042 [Fastening hardware] <Judge Hibiki Shimizu>

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 4 (Wa) 8985 [Cross connector] <Judge Matsukawa>

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 6 (Wa) 6216 [Taxi dispatch management system] <Judge Matsuami>

Administrative decision notes

[EPO decision] T 0070/23 (Immunogenic compositions/GSK)

Materials added on October 7, 2026, by type

Case notes

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70445 [Method for Producing Tea with a High γ-Aminobutyric Acid Content] <Presiding Judge Shibuya>

[United States] FMC v. Sharada (CAFC, August 1, 2025)

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 8403 [Ventilation structure beneath a coping] <Takemiya>

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 4 (Wa) 11025 [Porous air-permeable bag containing food for mites]

[United States] LAB v. Qiagen (CAFC, August 13, 2025)

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70346 [Wireless scuff plate] <Nakashima>

Tokyo District Court order, Reiwa 5 (Yo) 30402 [Siphon rain-gutter system] <Nakashima>

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 10237 [Tool for slaughtering wild animals]

Lectures and videos

[IP Practice Online] An enjoyable discussion of patent claim interpretation (Attorney Masakazu Kobayashi)

[New on YouTube] May 28, 2025 (IP LAB)

Materials added on 2026-10-11 by type

Reports and activities — Trial and Appeal Practitioners Study Group Report 2024 — Case 4 (Electrical 1)

Case note — IP High Court, Reiwa 7 (Ne) No. 10074 [Reservation Management Device] <Presiding Judge Masuda>

Books, lectures and other materials

Books, papers and lecture materials — activity archive (Japanese)

Videos and presentation materials — YouTube archive (Japanese)

IP High Court, Reiwa 6 (Ne) No. 10019 — Rolling device (Judge Miyasaka)

Osaka District Court, Reiwa 4 (Wa) No. 11025 — Mite-trapping mat (Judge Matsuami)

IP High Court, Heisei 25 (Ne) No. 10007 — Stirring and granulating apparatus (Judge Shitara)

Intellectual Property High Court (Grand Panel), Reiwa 5 (Ne) No. 10040 — Composition for promoting an increase in subcutaneous adipose tissue (Judge Honda)

[Designs] A case recognizing indirect infringement of a partial design

Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) No. 70178 — Zinc acetate hydrate tablets (Judge Nakajima)

Materials added on October 17, 2026

Osaka District Court, 2022 (Wa) 3344 — Method for Producing a High-Purity PTH-Containing Lyophilized Preparation (Takemiya)

IP High Court Grand Panel, 2023 (Ne) 10040 — Composition for Breast Augmentation

Osaka District Court, 1998 (Wa) 12899 — Electric Pipe Bending Apparatus

Tokyo District Court, 2024 (Yo) 30029 — Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Nakashima, Civil Division 40)

IP High Court, 2024 (Ne) 10026 — Thermoplastic Resin Composition: Rounding and Equivalents (Miyasaka)

Tokyo District Court, 2023 (Wa) 70001 — Wastewater Treatment Apparatus (Shibata)

Materials added on November 2, 2026

[IP Practice Online] Explanation of Patent Eligibility Issues in the United States and Practical Responses in Patent Prosecution (Japanese and U.S. Patent Attorney Shigeki Takeuchi)

[U.S. Patents] Claim Differentiation = 35 U.S.C. § 112(d)

[U.S. Patents] UTTO v. Metrotech (October 2024, CAFC)

Materials added on November 2, 2026, by type

Lectures and videos: [IP Practice Online] Explanation of Patent Eligibility Issues in the United States and Practical Responses in Patent Prosecution (Japanese and U.S. Patent Attorney Shigeki Takeuchi)

Case note: [U.S. Patents] Claim Differentiation = 35 U.S.C. § 112(d)

Case note: [U.S. Patents] UTTO v. Metrotech (October 2024, CAFC)

November 2, 2026: Added 3 newly published item(s) to the topic list and the material-type list. Existing text, lists, and prior history were preserved.

Heisei 30 (Gyo-Ke) 10146 [Pachinko Machine] <Otaka>

Updates and corrections

This log starts on 30 September 2026. Display and classification checks are distinct from a review of the legal analysis.

2026-09-30 — Presentation update: added the article type, this change log and a link to consultation options. The existing article text was preserved.

30 September 2026 | Navigation: added links grouped by material type and links to the books, papers, lecture materials and video archives. Existing article text was retained.

2026-10-01 | Guide navigation: added new articles to the article list and media-type list; existing content retained.

2026-10-03: Added newly published articles to the topic guide and media-type index.

2026-10-07 | Navigation update: Added newly published articles to the article list and type-based list; existing content and navigation were preserved.

2026-10-11: Added new articles to the topic guide and the source-type list.

2026-10-01 | Name notation: replaced verified Japanese-script personal names with Roman-letter forms in this English article and its navigation. Legal analysis and original publication date unchanged.

2026-10-09: Added 2 new articles to the topic list and the material-type guide.

Legal advice and speaking enquiries

October 2, 2026: Added newly published articles to this topic guide.

Find the right consultation option

October 3, 2026: Added new articles to the topic and media-type lists.

2026-10-04: Added new articles to the article list and the resource-type guide.

2026-10-05: Related-article or topic-guide navigation updated.

October 6, 2026 | Navigation update: Added newly published articles to the topic guide and media-type list; existing text and links were preserved.

Case note：Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70393 [Foldable and stowable temporary protective fence] <Judge Nakashima>

Case note：Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70445 [Method for Producing Tea with a High γ-Aminobutyric Acid Content] <Presiding Judge Shibuya>

Case note：[United States] FMC v. Sharada (CAFC, August 1, 2025)

Case note：Osaka District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 8403 [Ventilation structure beneath a coping] <Takemiya>

Case note：Osaka District Court, Reiwa 4 (Wa) 11025 [Porous air-permeable bag containing food for mites]

Case note：[United States] LAB v. Qiagen (CAFC, August 13, 2025)

Case note：Tokyo District Court, Reiwa 5 (Wa) 70346 [Wireless scuff plate] <Nakashima>

Case note：Tokyo District Court order, Reiwa 5 (Yo) 30402 [Siphon rain-gutter system] <Nakashima>

2026-10-08: Added 8 new article(s) to the topic and media-type lists.

2026-10-10: Added newly published articles to the resource list. The original guide text was not changed.

2026-10-10: Aligned reciprocal related-article links and published URLs. The original article text was not changed.

2026-10-13: aligned related-article, topic-guide, and other managed links with the articles’ published URLs. The original article text was not changed.

October 17, 2026: Added 6 newly published item(s) to the managed topic list. The original text, existing list, and prior history were preserved.

October 28, 2026 — HT: Corrected verified names, case references, court labels, wording or judgment links where applicable. Existing commentary and materials have been retained.

2026-11-14: Newly published articles added to the topic guide.

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