”IP Protection in the Metaverse in Japan”

IP Protection in the Metaverse in Japan

Since 2021, there have been active policy discussions in Japan regarding the protection of content in the metaverse, a virtual three-dimensional space on the Internet where many people can participate simultaneously, control their avatars, act freely, and interact with other participants. These policy discussions assume that the metaverse will expand over time, and that it is essential for content holders to consider IP protection in the metaverse.

In addition, the Unfair Competition Prevention Act (the “Act”), which was partially amended on June 7, 2023, allows for the regulation of product form imitation in the metaverse.

1.      Necessity of IP Protection in the Metaverse

The development of the metaverse has resulted in the transfer of consumption activities in real space to virtual space. In the metaverse, both businesses and users can create virtual items and sell them, and some companies have opened virtual stores in the metaverse to develop their business by offering products in both the real world and the metaverse. Under these circumstances, product designs that existed in real space can now be provided in virtual space, so we will examine whether IP protection implemented in real space can be maintained in the metaverse, based on the following hypothetical case study.

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