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[question_TT]

I was just told by a senior associate that spending too much time on Japanese prosecution early in my career will hurt me later on.  Specifically, it was said that Japanese work is lower work and that partners with "good" non-Japanese clients will not want to use me if I train on Japanese work. 

I'm not sure I understand why working for Japanese clients would "ruin" me. Is it really true?

[QUESTWON]

I was told, as a summer associate, that Japanese proseuction will kill you.  Japanese clients do not want to pay much and do not do much quality control.  So, if you work for them you will learn to do things quick and dirty and bad.  No real good clients will want you working on their stuff after that. Because everything you do will quick and dirty and bad.

[stuffball]

Blah blah blah.  Any partner who thinks that someone who served major Japanese clients is "tainted" is kind of an ass.  Probably better not to work for such a person. 

[klaviernista]

Blah blah blah.  Any partner who thinks that someone who served major Japanese clients is "tainted" is kind of an ass.  Probably better not to work for such a person. 

Or they have no Japanese clients.


When I was in law school, I too was given the impression that working on prosecution originating from foreign clients was "lesser" work.  Being a wet behind the ears law student, I was stupid enough to mention that prejudice during an interview with a law firm.  Lo and behold, 80+% of that firms business originated from Japanese and Chinese clients.  Needless to say, I didn't get the job.  In fact, that interview terminated almost immediately after the fateful words left my mouth.

In this market, I don't think any firm or attorney can be picky about the type of experience they get.  "Some" experience, regardless of its origin, is better than "no" experience.

[trustme]

Kind of off-topic, but Japanese written patents are often incredibly funny to read.

[still_learnin]

Perhaps the real issue is the amount of experience you obtain in deciding what arguments and amendments to make. Perhaps "directed prosecution for foreign clients" is really shorthand for "clients tell you what arguments and amendments to make".

I can see that spending a lot of time implementing someone else's strategy is not as valuable as coming up with your own strategy.

But I also agree that some is better than none.

[stuffball]

Perhaps the real issue is the amount of experience you obtain in deciding what arguments and amendments to make. Perhaps "directed prosecution for foreign clients" is really shorthand for "clients tell you what arguments and amendments to make".

I can see that spending a lot of time implementing someone else's strategy is not as valuable as coming up with your own strategy.

But I also agree that some is better than none.

I agree with all of the above.

However, it shouldn't be assumed (as it seems like it is being assumed by some, and NOT necessarily by the above-quoted poster) that "Japanese prosecution" means implementing someone else's instructions.  Obviously, I only speak for myself, but when I've worked for large Japanese clients I've provided the analysis/arguments.

[Robert K S]

Kind of off-topic, but Japanese written patents are often incredibly funny to read.

In what way?  Just the regular sort of amusement that comes from the Engrish of a poor translation?

Or do Japanese patents do such a poor job of describing the invention, or focus on matters so irrelevant to the invention, as to make them comical?

[bald & chained]

Kind of off-topic, but Japanese written patents are often incredibly funny to read.

In what way?  Just the regular sort of amusement that comes from the Engrish of a poor translation?

Or do Japanese patents do such a poor job of describing the invention, or focus on matters so irrelevant to the invention, as to make them comical?

from my experience of litigating a number of patents originally written in Japanese, they usually contain very detailed disclosures with many different embodiments.   The English translation, however, is often very difficult to follow due to the poor translation.  Weird phrases, terms, etc.   

[DogDayPM 9er9er9er]

...English translation, however, is often very difficult to follow due to the poor translation.  Weird phrases, terms, etc.   

Here's a fun one, see USP 6,436,081 to Uni-Charm of Japan.

"However, the aforementioned absorbent article ... ...for taking care of old people frequently fails to fit the crotch. This is because the old people are seriously different among the individuals in the width of the crotch, in the flesh of the crotch, abdomen or hip or in the flabbiness or wrinkles of the skin, as compared with infants. ... This problem is more serious for the old people who excrete far more liquid for one piss than the infants. ..."

[trustme]

Nice one DogDayPM!

That's exactly what I was trying to say. The scatological patents are the best. I'm going to start keeping a record of the funniest ones I find and I'll post them when I get enough.

[johnnydamon]

I've seen a 'homogenizer' referred to as a 'gay-mixer' in a translation before. 

[DogDayPM 9er9er9er]

The scatological patents are the best. I'm going to start keeping a record of the funniest ones I find and I'll post them when I get enough.

Here's one for your collection: 6,055,910.  Start reading at the claims and see how long it takes you to figure out exactly what's going on there.

[klaviernista]

A couple of my favorites:

JP9048522.  Due to an unfortunate typo, this Japanese Patent is titled "Live Fish *ucking-Up Device."  The * was supposed to be an "S," but instead was an "F"

KR20010007816, entitled "Love Bed."  Let it be known that the Japanese are not the only culture with impressive technological prowess.  The English abstract is particularly informative.  See http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=EPODOC&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20010205&CC=KR&NR=20010007816A&KC=A

[Jonathan]

I  am glad the figures are not readily available..