Monthly Archives: January 2024

Space Education Recommendations

  • January 31, 2024
#copyright #intellectual property

The Small Lunar Module (SLIM) launched by JAXA became the fifth country in the world to successfully land on the Moon. Unfortunately, the planned lunar exploration seems to be difficult due to a problem with the landing attitude, but we will keep our eyes on the future of this project.
By the way, JAXA provides a variety of educational materials for free on its website. Please read the terms and conditions of copyright and intellectual property rights carefully before using these materials, and try them at home.
https://edu.jaxa.jp/materialDB/

The image is a picture of the moon I took with my smartphone a few years ago. You can see something in the reflection.
(Swimmer)

moon

The Beatles – Now and Then

  • January 23, 2024
#trademark

On November 2, 2023, a new Beatles song, “Now and Then,” was released.
The Beatles broke up in 1970, but this was their first new song release in 27 years, since 1996, and it made a big splash. It is said that “Now and Then” is the last new Beatles song.

There is another reason why it became a big topic.
This song is based on a cassette tape that the late John Lennon wrote in the late 1970s and recorded while playing the piano at home.
The sound quality of the cassette tape was so bad that it was impossible with earlier technology to extract only the singing voice over the piano.
His voice was overlaid on Paul McCartney’s and Ringo Starr’s performances and the late George Harrison’s sound sources to create a complete new song by the four members, which has now been officially released.

I listened to the song shortly after its release and found the sound quality to be unmistakably that of a demo tape, with a somber atmosphere and the universal appeal of the Beatles.
The lyrics of the song express gratitude and affection for the person from whom they have drifted apart, but perhaps the members expressed their feelings for each other, not only from John Lennon’s point of view, but also from each other’s, by putting this song out into the world as a Beatles’ song.
I am sure that the song has touched the hearts of not only the old Beatles fans but also the younger generation of fans. (Syszo)

In Japan, 13 trademarks for “THE BEATLES” and “BEATLES” have been registered by Apple Corps Limited. If you are interested, please search for them on J-PlatPat.

Hometown Tax Donation Program ～Where is your hometown?～

  • January 18, 2024
#trademark

On a personal note, I paid my hometown tax through “Satofuru” in December 2023.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ “Understanding Furusato Taxation! Furusato Tax Payment” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications states, “The Furusato Tax Payment System was established as a system that allows people to contribute to the hometown where they were born and raised, and to choose the municipality they wish to support at their own will.
So, I wondered. Where exactly is my hometown?
For many people, their hometown is the place where they were born and raised, where they went to school, or where they worked. Or, the place where one’s parents live can also be considered one’s hometown.
But where is the hometown of a person who was born and raised in different places?
I thought about the hometowns of people who are often transferred from one place to another or who spent their childhood in a foreign country like myself, and I thought that the place where they have spent the most time since their birth would be appropriate.

This time I paid my hometown tax to Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture, where my grandparents live. I chose Kyotango City because I sometimes visit there during long vacations and I wanted to contribute to the municipality that has taken care of me so well.
I received 10 kilograms of rice and Japanese beef as a thank-you gift♪ (Rabbit)

Hometown Tax Donation Program

“Satofuru” is a registered trademark of SB Players Co.

Hometown tax payment site [Satofuru] No.1 in recognition of search by ranking and reviews (satofull.jp) (Japanese only)
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications｜Understand! Furusato Tax Payment｜Understand well! Furusato Tax Payment (soumu.go.jp) (Japanese only)

Copyright of Mickey Mouse

  • January 9, 2024
#copyright

　The copyright of the popular character, the first Mickey Mouse, expired on January 1, 2024, and became public domain in the United States. This makes it possible to create derivative works of the original Mickey. The one that will be in the public domain is the one from the 1928 short film “Steamboat Willie,” which differs from the modern version in the way the eyes are drawn and, in the gloves, and shoes. In addition, the Mickey Mouse trademark is owned by Disney, even though it is now in the public domain.

　In 2023, the release of “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” a horror film based on “Winnie the Pooh,” whose copyright expired a year earlier, also attracted attention. We may see more films based on Mickey Mouse, who is now in the public domain, in the future. (Marron)

Reference URL:
An early version of Mickey Mouse is now in the public domain (CNN)
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/01/business/mickey-mouse-early-version-copyright-expired/index.html

Altitude Films – Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
https://www.altitude.film/winnie-the-pooh-blood-and-honey

Safety Razor Blade

  • January 5, 2024
#Inventions of the Day #patent

　Today, I will introduce an invention that is closely associated with today (January 5), the safety razor blade. January 5 is the birthday of King Camp Gillette, an American businessman and inventor of the safety razor.

　When I think of safety razors, I think of Gillette or Schick, although there is also Kaijirushi(KAI) and Feather. By the way, I use Schick’s Extreme 3 every morning. It is a disposable product, but it lasts rather long (lol).

Schick's Extreme 3

　Gillette was born in 1855 in Wisconsin and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. While working as a salesman, he came up with the idea of inventing a disposable razor blade when his employer told him that he could stabilize his customer base by introducing a disposable product. He went on to develop a replaceable blade safety razor and founded the Gillette Company in September 1901. In December of the same year, he applied for a patent, and after a three-year examination period, he was granted a patent.

(When I searched the J-Plat Pat, the information came up, but unfortunately, “The specified gazette does not exist.” However, a search on Google Patents yielded the gazette as well.)

　Although Gillette did not do well in 1903 when it started manufacturing and selling razor blades, the company’s performance increased when it distributed it to drinks as a free gift, and in 1918, the U.S. government ordered razor blades and replacement blades for soldiers serving in World War I. This led to the company becoming the world’s largest manufacturer of razor blades.

　Today, Gillette is known for its razor and blades model, a business strategy that is said to have been pioneered by the company. This model is based on selling the core product at a lower price (or offering it free of charge) in order to increase sales of complementary products such as consumables. Even today, there are examples such as inkjet printers, where the price of ink cartridges has increased dramatically; coffee machines, where you have to buy special capsules or pods for use; electric toothbrushes…. I’m sure you have some of these in mind. I have all of those listed here (lol).

　Anyway, I guess it is not so easy to succeed just by making a groundbreaking invention. I would like to refer to the struggles of our predecessors who created new markets that had never existed before. (blink)