Kazuya Shibata, 27, is a Japanese engineer who makes what he calls "barely useful" inventions. His comical designs are often overly complex, but they've let him quit his job to do inventing full-time.

Masato Iida of Shiga International Patent Office explains what types of bio inventions are deemed eligible for patent protection in Japan and draws comparisons with US practice The patent law in Japan ...

Who would have thought that oil would become the most powerful impetus for the development of wind energy in the 20th century ...

Yuki Tsukada of Shiga International Patent Office says the rulings will ease enforcement of patent rights on network-related inventions and suggests legislative reform may be on the horizon ...