Trademark & Copyright Specialist - Intellectual Property Department, Group Compliance Supervisory Department (IPD)

Job Description:

Business Overview

Rakuten Group provides more than 70 services in a wide range of fields, including e-commerce, travel, digital content, and other Internet services in Japan and overseas, as well as financial services such as credit cards, banking, securities, electronic money, and smartphone app payments, mobile services such as mobile carrier services, and professional sports. By organically linking these services through a membership system centered on Rakuten members, Rakuten has created a unique “Rakuten ecosystem” that is unlike any other.

*Our Businesses Key Figures
https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/services/

Department Overview

The mission of Intellectual Property Department (IPD) is to support Rakuten Group’s business from an IP viewpoint.  Although our department handles many duties-such as acquiring IP rights, removing IP risks, and managing disputes— Our Trademark & Copyright Section's  main roles are: securing trademark rights, building a trademark portfolio, advising Business Unit questions on trademarks and copyrights (including infringement issues on platforms like Rakuten Ichiba and Rakuten Rakuma), reviewing IP-related contracts, handling disputes, running internal awareness programs, and setting internal rules and reviews for the development and use of generative AI.

Position:

Why We Hire

We need more people to achieve the goals of the Trademark & Copyright Section, especially in the area of copyright. 
Our company is rapidly expanding the in-house use of generative AI and adding home-grown generative AI features to our services. Strengthening our team with people who can support generative-AI use and related business growth has therefore become an urgent priority.

Attractions of the Role
- Business/Organization Stage
Tackle copyright questions for generative AI, a brand-new field with little law or case precedent. Early action lets us shape future industry practice.
- Autonomy & Culture
Join a highly skilled, diverse team that shares ideas openly and supports self-learning.
- Career Path (Skills Gained and Career Path)
Work on all kinds of corporate IP-generative AI, copyright, trademarks, and related laws-so you gain broad IP skills.
- Differentiation from Competitors (Appeal Leveraging Resources of This Business × Rakuten Group)
A fast-moving, tech-focused culture helps you pick up new knowledge quickly. Talent, not seniority, wins responsibility, so even young members can tackle big projects and grow.

Position Details

Corporate IP Work Focused on Copyright

Main Responsibilities
- Respond to legal  inquiries from other departments, including those about generative AI
- Handle disputes and litigation
- Draft and review contracts, such as content-development and licensing agreements
- Prepare internal policies and external user terms
- Provide in-house training and awareness programs

Sample Projects
- Create and run internal rules and review processes for generative-AI use
- Build and operate a release checklist for owned-media content
- Draft e-book publishing deals, VTuber management contracts, and content-license agreements
- Share information internally and deliver e-learning sessions

Work Environment

Organization Structure
- Headcount: Intellectual Property Department, 40 people, Trademark & Copyright Section, 8 people (including dual-role staff)
- Age range: employees span their 20s to 50s
- New-graduate ratio: among the 8 Trademark & Copyright Section staff, 3 entered as new graduates

Average Overtime
About 10 hours per month

Mid-Career Backgrounds
- Corporate IP department experience (any industry)
- Patent-firm experience, etc.

Career Path Examples
After building skills in the Trademark & Copyright Section, employees can—according to their wishes:

- move to planning roles in other IP teams,
- hold a dual post with the Brand team, or
- transfer to a business-unit IP group to judge infringement issues for our platforms.
This environment lets IP professionals gain well-rounded, multi-faceted skills.

Mandatory Qualifications:

- At least 3 years of full-time work experience
- Native-level Japanese proficiency
- Practical copyright-law experience-advising and contract review-in a corporate legal/IP team or a patent/law firm

Desired Qualifications:

- Business-level English ability
- Experience in planning and running projects
- Qualification as a lawyer or patent attorney

Personal Profile
- Excellent communication skills (must explain and coordinate with many internal teams)
- Eager to take on new challenges
- Able to work autonomously and proactively

Other Information:

Additional information on Location

Rakuten Crimson House
1-14-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

Related Pages
- Employee Benefits: https://global.rakuten.com/corp/careers/benefit/

- Employee Conditions: https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/information/

- Culture: https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/culture/

#corporate #legal #IP #audit #operationdiv