SHOGO MATSUNAGA

2025 – present – Visiting Professor on IP Policy and Infringement Practice, Graduate School of Innovation and Technology Management, Yamaguchi University

2022 – Chairperson of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act Committee, Japan Patent Attorneys Association

2021 – Advisory Member of the Research and Study Project on Comparison of Industrial Property Right Regimes of the World 2021 “Research and Study on Standard Essential Patents and Their Exhaustion – Current Situations and Issues Surrounding Patents Related to Networks and Services”, Japan Patent Office

2021 – Member of the Study Group on Trading Environment for Licensing of Standard Essential Patents, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

2020 – Member of the SIP-adus Intellectual Property Strategy Review Committee, Cabinet Office

2020 – Member of the Study Group on Fair Value Calculation of Standard Essential Patents for Multi-Component Products, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

2020 – 2021 – Enforcement Committee of INTA (International Trademark Association)

2019 – 2023 – Ethics committee of the Council for Industrial use of Biological and Environmental Repositories (CIBER)

2019 – 2021 – Member of Tokyo Bar Association Civil Judiciary Reform Realization Headquarters

2018 – present – Statutory Auditor of Bruker Japan K.K.

2018 – 2020 – Instructor of Training Course for IP Litigator qualification (Japan Patent Attorneys Association)

2018 – 2019, 2022 – 2025 – Anticounterfeiting Committee of INTA (International Trademark Association)

2014 – present – Designated Legal Counsel for Austrian Embassy in Tokyo

2012 – 2013 – Trademark Office Practices Committee of INTA

2026 – present – Sonderhoff & Einsel Law Office

2008 – 2025 – Sonderhoff & Einsel Law and Patent Office

1993 – 2007 – IPtrust Inc.

“Insights from Two FRAND Decisions by European Unified Patent Court (UPC)” (“THE INVENTION” March 2025)

“Free and Lively Discussion – How to Properly Address Standard Essential Patents (Continued)” (Vol. 121, No. 9 of “THE INVENTION” September 2024)

“Free and Lively Discussion – How to Properly Address Standard Essential Patents” (Vol. 121, No. 8 of “THE INVENTION” August 2024)

“Scary Stories about Trade Secrets (Part 2): ‘Contamination’ Damage More Serious than Leakage” (“NIKKEI Risk Insight” July 2024)

“Scary Stories about Trade Secrets (Part 1): In Reality, Contracts Cannot Fully Protect” (“NIKKEI Risk Insight” July 2024)

“China Becoming Intellectual Property Powerhouse: Japan Falling Behind in Standard Essential Patent Strategy” (NIKKEI Risk Insight, April 2024)

“Examples of NDA Provisions and Key Points of Post-Conclusion Management” (Business Legal Affairs, May 2024)

“Japan: Trade secrets – policy and latest developments” (IAM Trade Secrets Hub, March 2024)

“Management process for handling the confidentiality of know-how licenses” (Business Legal Affairs, June 2023)

“REVISION OF JAPAN PATENT OFFICE ‘GUIDE TO LICENSING NEGOTIATIONS INVOLVING STANDARD ESSENTIAL PATENTS’” （A.I.P.P.I International Edition, Vol.47 No.6, November 2022)

“Trends Surrounding SEP – Harmonization of Court Findings on Obligation of Good-Faith Negotiation and Supply Chain Issues, and Escalation of Jurisdiction Battles” (No. 1571, IP Dispute Trends of “JURIST” May 2022)

“Connected-Car Disputes Over SEP – What Is Seen by Parties Involved” (Vol. 62, No. 4 of “LES JAPAN NEWS” 2021, Co-author)

“Study of FRAND Licensing Negotiations Based on EU Court Decisions of 2020” (Vol. 71, P925-P935, “Patent Management” Intellectual Patent Association of Japan Journal, July 2021)

“Shift from the Theory of Restriction of SEP Enforcements and the Future Issue” (Vol. 17 No. 3, Journal of Intellectual Property Association of Japan, March 2021)

“Major Issues of VR Contents under Intellectual Property Law” (“Business Legal Affairs” June 2021)

“2UNDER Case Decisions: Court Recognized Defense Based on Parallel Import for Goods Distributed after Termination of Distribution Contract (Tokyo District Court Case No. Heisei 30 (Wa) 35053 of October 22, 2020” (No. 15376 of “Patent News” 2021, Co-author)

“Import Status of Personal-Use Goods Infringing Trademarks; Measures and Their Limits Under Current Law” (Trade and Tariffs, February 2021)

“German Court Order Allowing Injunction to Car Manufacturers and License to All Arguments” (No. 15311 of “Patent News” 2020)

“Ban Urgently Needed on Private-Use Imports of Counterfeit Brand-Name Goods” (No. 15157 of “Patent News” 2020, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Co-author)

“Determination of FRAND Obligation Violations in Germany – Düsseldorf Higher District Court Decision in Unwired Planet v. Huawei” (No. 14977 of “Patent News” 2019)

“Trademark and Copyright Infringements Related to Augmented Reality Applications” (Vol. 15 No. 3, Journal of Intellectual Property Association of Japan, March 2019)

“Issues Surrounding Trademark Infringing Goods Imported by Individuals” (No.14868 of “Patent News” 2019)

“A Look at SEP Litigation Trends Between Countries” (No. 14648 of “Patent News” 2018)

“Limitations of Contractual Confidentiality Obligations Based on Court Precedents” ( No. 14571 of “Patent News” 2017, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry)

“UK Court of Appeal’s Judgment on Site Blocking due to Infringement on Trademark” (No. 14266 of “Patent News” 2016, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry)

“Recent Issues on Practice of Ban on Import of Counterfeit Products” (No. 14169 of “Patent News” 2016, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry)

“Study of EU Court Decision(s) (C-170/13) HUAWEI v ZTE” (No. 14070 of “Patent News” 2015, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry)

“Trend of Decision on RAND Royalty in the US Justice – Is “Stacking” an Issue of the Past?” (No. 14007 of “Patent News” 2015, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry)

“Overview of Patent Infringement Litigation Proceedings and FRAND Related Issues in Germany” (No. 13917 of “Patent News 2015, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry)

“Apple v. Samsung: Summary and Analysis of Opinions Submitted to IP High Court Grand Panel” (LES JAPAN NEWS Vol.55 No.3, September, 2014, Co-author)

“Study of Two US Court Decisions Recognizing RAND Royalty for SEP and Tokyo District Court Decision Denying Damage Claim Based on SEP” (CIPIC Journal,December 2013, Customs Intellectual Property Information Center)

“Trademark-related Court Precedents in 2011” (July issue of “PATENT” 2012, Co-author)

“Trademark-related Court Precedents in 2010” (April issue of “PATENT” 2011, Co-author)

“Trend Analysis of Intellectual Property Rights in Europe” (IP Annual Report 2009, NBL, Co-author)

TTC Seminar “Latest Developments in FRAND Litigation and Insights for SEP Strategies” (The Telecommunication Technology Committee (TTC)) 2025

“Enforcing Swissness in Japan: Legal Challenges with Trademark and Unfair Competition Claims” (Webinar “The Impact of Swissness in Japan” co-hosted by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan & the Swiss-Japanese Chamber of Commerce) 2025

“Trends in SEP Case Law and Development of FRAND Rules” (SEP Global Workshop co-hosted by Japan Patent Attorneys Association and SEP Study Group) 2025

“FRAND Licensing Strategy for IoT Implementers – Addressing SEPs with Analysis from Latest UPC Decisions” (Japan Patent Attorneys Association) 2025

“Licensing Strategy for Addressing SEPs and Surviving in IoT” (Japan Intellectual Property Association) 2024

“Necessity of Patent Exhaustion Circumvention System for IoT Supply Chain Protection” (2nd Meeting of Japan-China Collaborative Research Business, Japan Patent Office) 2024

“Litigation Surrounding Patents before European Unified Patent Court (UPC)” (IP High Court Study Group) 2024

“Global SEP Litigation Trends over Past Year” (SEP Global Workshop co-hosted by SEP Study Group and Keio IP Forum, Keio University) 2024

“IOT Licensing Practice for Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) – What Patent Attorneys Need to Know about the Development of Good Faith Negotiation Rules by European Court Cases and Supply Chain Patent Compensation Issues” (Japan Patent Attorneys Association Workshop, Webinar) 2023

“IP and Innovation, Joining Forces with Consumers to Fight Counterfeits” (INTA 2023 Annual Meeting Singapore) 2023

“What is a Standard Essential Patent? Legal Issues in the IoT Era and Future Prospects for Practice” (The Association of Corporate Legal Departments) 2023

“Global SEP trends summary for 2022″ (SEP Workshop co-hosted by SEP Study Group and Japan Patent Attorneys Association) 2023

“Standard and Essential Patents are not someone else’s problem—Dealing with license offers—Lessons learned from the global automotive industry response” (Licensing Executive Society JAPAN) 2022

“The trend of court precedents in various countries regarding good faith negotiation of FRAND licenses and the revised contents of the Guidelines for Negotiation of Licenses for Standard Essential Patents (Revised Version) ”(Institute of Intellectual Property) 2022

“Discussion on Present and Future of Supply Chains and Intellectual Property Systems- Fogus on Exhaustion-”(Symposium co-hosted by the University of Tokyo Center for Future Initiatives and the University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics) 2022

“The worldwide disputes over SEPs and their flow, international precedents, domestic precedents, and measures in various countries”(Osaka Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Intellectual Property, Kansai Intellectual Property Seminar) 2022

“Study on Standard Essential Patents and Their Exhaustion – Current Situations and Issues Surrounding Patents Related to Networks and Services” (SEP Seminar, Research and Study Project on Comparison of Industrial Property Right Regimes of the World 2021, Japan Patent Office) 2022

“A Turbulent Year for Standard Essential Patents – Anti-suit Injunction and Its Impact” (19th Academic Research Conference, Intellectual Property Association of Japan) 2021

“Actual Situations Surrounding SEP Litigations in Germany – Lessons from Nokia v. Daimler Case” (New Business Strategy Seminar for the Beyond 5G Era, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) 2021

“Recent US Trends in FRAND-encumbered SEP Enforcement” (Japan Machinery Center for Trade and Investment) 2021

“Trends in Recent SEP Judgements and Future Perspectives from the Lawyer’s Viewpoint” (LESI Virtual Annual Conference 2021)

“SEP Litigation Trends and Licensing Reality in loT” (Global Intellectual Property Management (LL.M), Keio University Law School) 2021

“Import Status of Personal-Use Goods Infringing Trademarks; Measures and Their Limits Under Current Law” (CIPIC Lecture) 2020

“Enforceability of Standard Essential Patents in the IoT Era” (Global Intellectual Property Management (LL.M.), Keio University Law School) 2020

“Online Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies – Internet Trademark Infringement and Intermediary Liability” (International IP Symposium co-organized by IPAJ and JPAA) 2020

“General Overview of Discussions Surrounding SEP Licensing” (17th Annual Academic Research Conference of IPAJ) 2019

“The latest of Standard Essential Patent Issues” (Global Intellectual Property Management (LL.M.), Keio University Law School) 2019

“SEP Eco System in the Next Decade” (Global Intellectual Property Management (LL.M.), Keio University Law School) 2018

“Latest Issues of Local Employment” (EU Consular and Administrative Counsellors Meeting at the Delegation of the European Union to Japan) 2018

“Court Precedents and the Evolution of SEP-Related Issues: An Overview”　(SEP Study Group Symposium in 2017, co-organized by SEP Study Group and the Licensing Executives Society Japan, sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)

“Development of Child Pornography Site Blocking Scheme and Applicability to Trademark Infringement Site” (Union des Fabricants Tokyo) 2017

“Biobank Contract Issues” (JMAC’s Life Science Innovation Forum 3’s “Medical Treatment and Biobanking in the Post Genome Era”) 2017

“The Newly Adopted EU Trade Secrets Directive and the Japanese Law of Trade Secrets” (EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation) 2016

“Management Strategy and Business Strategy Involving Intellectual Property, Standards and Anti-Trust Law” (SEP Study Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) 2016

“Trend of Judicial Precedents regarding Standard Essential Patent in the US (SEP Study Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) 2015

“Making Japanese Labor Law Work for You-Focusing on Employment Rules and Dismissal Practices” (The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan) 2015

“Multi-stakeholder Perspectives on the Japanese Patent System”(University of Washington School of Law – Hosted by the Law, Technology & Arts Group, the Asian Law Center, and the Visiting Scholars Program) 2014

“Points for HR Person to be Aware of for Prevention of Divulgation of Trade Secrets by Retired Employees” (The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan) 2015

“Several Issues Related to Overtime Work and Extra Pay” (Tokyo, Japan) 2012

“Trademark-related Court Precedents” (Tokyo, Japan) 2011

“Validity of Dismissals and Trend of Recent Precedents” (Tokyo, Japan) 2011

February 24, 2025 – Nikkei Views, Nikkei Online Edition “Panasonic HD’s Patent Litigation against Chinese Companies – Importance of Venue as a Lesson”

July 25, 2024 – NIKKEI Mobility “VW & BMW Joint Negotiations on Connected Car Patents – Counteroffensive against Telecommunications Alliance”

May 10, 2024 – Nikkei Online Edition “Patent Strategy in the 5G Era — What Challenges Do Japanese Companies Face? — Ask a Lawyer”

April 16, 2024 –  The SEP Couch with Tim Pohlmann – IPlytics Podcast (LexisNexis) “#29 Shogo Matsunaga | SEPs and the Law in Japan”

December 20, 2023 – mlex (Lexis Nexis) “How IP issues, telecom restraints could stymie Japan’s connected-car projects”

December 2023 – IAM 300 GLOBAL LEADERS 2024 (Law Business Research)

November 28, 2023 – Nikkei Morning Edition “The increasing threat of Chinese counterfeit goods. ‘Learning’ with OEMs. Brand origin stories also copied”

October 2023 – IAM Strategy 300 The World’s Leading IP Strategists (Law Business Research)

July 4, 2023 – Nikkei Crosstech “Will Metaverse’s Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts Progress? Remaining Issues Regarding the Revised Unfair Competition Prevention Law”

March 27, 2023 – Nikkei Morning Edition “The IP battle for internet-enabled vehicles (1) Huawei, approaching from Yokohama, negotiates with Suzuki and others for a communications license.”

December 22, 2022 – Nikkei Morning Edition: Ranked 12th of “Active IP Lawyers Chosen by Companies”

December 14, 2022 – SENKEN SHIMBUN “Towards World-Standard Intellectual Property Rights: Can Actual Products be Protected from Unauthorized Data Creation?　Interview with Shogo Matsunaga, Patent Attorney and Attorney-at-Law: The Unfair Competition Prevention Law, which will be amended for reasons of clarification, can be used for this purpose”

October 22, 2022 – Nikkei Morning Edition “Massage chair patent lawsuit battle, damages widely accepted and high compensation awarded.”

October 7, 2022 – ASIAN BUSINESS LEGAL JAPAN EDITION(ALB) “A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO IP”.

September  26, 2022 – Nikkei Morning Edition “Can Toyota and Honda win back the patent negotiations for ‘connected cars’ ?”

September 24, 2022 – The Yomiuri Shimbun Evening Edition “Counterfeit Brands: Tightening Border Controls to Prevent Personal Imports…Confiscation of Goods ‘Purchased from Vendors’ and Curbing Resale of Counterfeit Brands Disguised as Items for ‘Personal’ Use”

July 26, 2022 – mlex (Lexis Nexis) “Japanese automakers face adversarial court rulings over SEP licensing to suppliers.”

March 19, 2022 – ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS (ALB): LEGAL CHANNELS ESSENTIAL FOR EVOLVING MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES’ IP STRATEGIES

March 15, 2022 – Nikkei Morning Edition “Brand Fake Products to Escape from the Meshes of the Law: Resellers in the Disguise of ‘Personal-Use’ Individuals”

December 19, 2021 – Nikkei Morning Edition “What Fakes Cannot Satisfy – Brands Expect Customers’ Financial Power, Aesthetic Intelligence and Good Moral”

December 9, 2021 – Nikkei Morning Edition (Front Page) “Patent Disputes Over Connected Cars – US Company to Sue TOYOTA and HONDA”

December 9, 2021 – Nikkei Morning Edition (Page 17) “Car Patent Litigations to Encourage Manufacturers to Improve ‘Leaving to Suppliers’ Commercial Practice”

November 2, 2021 – Nikkei X Tech / Nikkei Automotive “Connected Car Litigations to Become More Intensified? – Reasons Lie in Differences in Business Practices”

October 18, 2021 – Nikkei Morning Edition “Who Is Going to Pay IoT Royalties? – Concerns with ‘Free-Ride’ by Data Companies”

October 16, 2021 – Nikkei Morning Edition “Why Does Nippon Steel Sue China’s Baosteel and TOYOTA?”

June 1, 2021 – Nikkei Morning Edition “Daimler to Pay Patent Royalties to Nokia for Connected Cars”

May 17, 2021 – iam “Japanese Government to Weigh SEP Licensing Questions Again

January 13, 2021 – BUSINESS LAWYERS “Survival of Japanese Companies in the ‘Super Competitive’ World: Expert Insights into Global Battles of SEP (Sequel)”

January 6, 2021 – BUSINESS LAWYERS “Pro-patent Shift on SEPs and Lost Five Years of Japan; Expert Insights into Global Battles of SEP (Prequel)”

November 26, 2020 – Nikkei Morning Edition “Patent Risks in Connected Cars – Daimler to Lose Nokia in Litigation”

SEP Research Group, Tokyo Bar Association IP Division, Unfair Competition Prevention Act Committee of Japan Patent Attorneys Association, Intellectual Property Association of Japan, LESJ (Licensing Executives Society Japan), IP Law Network for Lawyers, Japan Trademark Association, Union des Fabricants

2013 – 2014 – Visiting Scholar at University of Washington School of Law

1993 – Waseda University (LL.B.)

1989 – Seiko Gakuin High School