On January 21, 2025, a delegation consisting of 12 members of the GCC IP Advisory Council, 4 JETRO staff, and 1 staff member from the Japan Patent Office visited the Anti-Counterfeiting Association (ACA), which is engaged in public awareness activities to protect intellectual property and eliminate counterfeit goods in Japan. CODA also participated in the discussion meeting held during the visit.
The GCC IP Advisory Council is an organization aimed at promoting the dissemination and awareness of intellectual property, comprising intellectual property rights-related groups from the five Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This time, the delegation visited Japan with the purpose of exchanging opinions with the International Intellectual Property Protection Forum (IIPPF), for which JETRO serves as the secretariat, as well as holding discussions with government agencies, companies, and intellectual property organizations.
During the discussion meeting, following the opening remarks, each member of the visiting delegation introduced themselves. Subsequently, Takero Goto, CODA’s Representative Director and ACA’s Secretary General, provided an overview of the background leading to the establishment of CODA and ACA, the activities of each organization, and the current state and challenges of combating piracy.
Delegation members raised numerous questions about CODA’s Automated Contents Monitoring Center including the number of personnel involved and specific operational methods, as well as the details of educational awareness activities conducted by CODA. Additionally, there was a request for the use of educational awareness programs in Arabic, demonstrating the delegation’s strong interest in CODA’s activities. The meeting turned out to be a highly meaningful exchange of ideas.
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About CODA
CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association) was established in 2002 at the call of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Agency for Cultural Affairs to promote the overseas development of Japanese content and take anti-piracy measures. Japan’s proud content, including music, movies, anime, broadcast programs, video games, and publishing, plays an important role in enhancing the nation’s international presence and economic growth. As digital technology becomes more widespread, it is even more significant to protect Japan’s content from increasingly artful copyright infringement and promote the content industry’s development. CODA contributes to the deterrence and detection of online and other piracy, by sharing knowledge with relevant government agencies, organizations, and companies in Japan and abroad, to engage in direct and indirect anti-piracy measures, as well as public relations activities. Visit https://coda-cj.jp/en/activity/ for more information on CODA’s projects.