On September 8, 2016, 10 members of the Department of Economic Law, Legislative Affairs Commission and others of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee of the People’s Republic of China, including Deputy Director Yue Zhongming, visited the IP High Court. The visitors received from Chief Judge Ryuichi Shitara explanations on the background to the establishment of the IP High Court, details of exclusive jurisdiction, state of operation, role of judicial research officials, state of the number of cases, details of explanatory session, settlement procedures, and other matters.

Subsequently, they received from Judge Motoyuki Nakashima explanations on the relationship of patent infringement lawsuits with trials for invalidation and suits against appeal/trial decisions made by the JPO, the defense of invalidity, and outline of law revision related thereto. Thereafter, a lively Q&A session ensued, in which the members of the Department of Economic Law and others asked many questions about the advantages, fairness, and neutrality of the judicial research officials system, structure of judicial research officials, organizations which they come from, extent of binding effect of the judgment regarding to suits against appeal/trial decisions made by the JPO, actual conditions, and other matters.