일본에서는 사법제도개혁의 일환으로 지적재산관계 소송에 대한 제1심 관할의 집중 및 그 항소심과 심결취소소송 관할의 일원화, 지적재산관계 소송에서의 대합의제 도입, 전문위원제도의 창설 등을 주된 내용으로 하는“민사소송법의 일부를 개정하는 법률안”이 2003. 7. 16. 공포되어 2004. 4.1.부터 시행되었다. 나아가 침해소송과 무효심판의 관계를 조정하고, 재판소조사관의 권한을 확대하고 명확히 하며, 침해행위의 입증을 용이하게 하기 위한 제도를 두고, 지적재산고등재판소를 설립하는 내용의“지적재산고등재판소설치법 및 재판소법 등의 일부를 개정하는 법률”이 2004. 6. 18. 공포되어 2005. 4. 1.부터 시행되었다. 한편 특허심판제도와 관련하여서는 특허이의 신청제도를 폐지하여 특허무효심판제도에 통합하고, 무효심판􀓋정정심판 및 심결취소소송과의 관계를 합리화하는 내용의“특허법 등의 일부를 개정하는 법률”이 2003. 5. 23. 공포되어 2004. 1. 1.부터 시행되고 있다. 지적재산 소송제도에 대한 개선의견이 강하게 제기되고 있는 우리로서도 현재 비판받고 있는 부분에 대한 진지하고 신속한 검토를 거쳐 지적재산 소송에 관한 합리적인 사법시스템을 구축하고 그 운영방안을 정비해 나갈 필요가 있을 것이므로, 일본의 지적재산관계법의 개정 내용을 소개한다.

In Japan, as a part of its judicial reform, the Law for Partial Amendment of the Code of Civil Procedure was promulgated on July 16, 2003 and became effective from April 1, 2004. The Law includes as part of its main contents the convergence of the first instance of court jurisdiction regarding intellectual property-related cases, unification of the appeals court jurisdiction regarding those cases and lawsuits against JPO appeal/trial decisions, and introduction of a grand panel system for intellectual property-related litigation and expert commissioner system. Furthermore, the Law for Establishing the IP High Court and the Law for Amending a part of the Court Organization Law, which includes measures to further enhance and accelerate court procedure for intellectual property-related cases such as improving the adjusting the process between infringement lawsuits and trials for the invalidation of patents, the expansion and clarification of the authorities of judicial research officials, making the proof of infringement easier, as well as the establishment of IP High Court, was promulgated on June 18, 2004 and became effective from April 1, 2005. As for the JPO trial/appeal system, the Law for the Amendment of Patent Law and other Industrial Property Laws was promulgated on May 23, 2003 and became effective from Jan. 1, 2004. The Law includes as contents the abolishment of the opposition procedure against the grant of patent and the integration of it with the trial for invalidation, rationalization of the relationship between invalidation trials, trails for correction and lawsuits against JPO appeal/trial decisions. The Patent Court of Korea has been noted as the first patent court in Asia. But we should not be satisfied with the current achievement and need to establish a more rationalized and efficient intellectual property-related litigation system through earnest examination about the portion of our system which is under severe criticism. Considering this situation, an introduction to the details of Japanese intellectual property-related law reform can be helpful for our own future reform.

Ⅰ. 처음에
Ⅱ. 지적재산관계 소송의 전문화
Ⅲ. 침해소송에서의 무효사유 항변과 무효심판의 관계 정비
Ⅳ. 영업비밀의 보호강화 및 침해행위의 입증 용이화
Ⅴ. 특허심판절차의 정비
Ⅵ. 침해소송의 대리인 제도 정비
Ⅶ. 맺는 말

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