Languages
- Japanese / English
Field teams
Career
- Graduated from the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, Keio University
- Completed the professional degree program in Management of Technology, Graduate School, Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Patent firms and law firms in Tokyo
- EDISON LAB Inc., Representative Director
- IPX Patent Partners, Of Counsel / Patent Attorney
Qualifications
- Patent Attorney
- Master of Management of Technology
Media appearances and more
Show all (9)
- Visit the Edison Lab website
- Podcast, Kininaru Sekai no Mi ni Naru Hanashi: “Inventor and musician Kota OGAWA” (2024.2)
- SHONAN garden: “Make money from inventions!? We ask Kota OGAWA, a Kamakura-based inventor and musician: ‘The story of devising flick input and gaining a fortune worth 100 lifetimes’” (2025.7)
- Institute of Science Tokyo, MOT Seminar: “The story of inventing flick input” (2026.2)
- Forbes JAPAN: “The inventor who sold ‘flick input’ to Microsoft: a patent strategy that ‘made Big Tech get serious’” (2026.3)
- Podcast, Is It Just Me? — “Am I the only patent attorney who invented flick input and also writes songs for AKB48? [#ソレワタ ep.01] #rabbitcat #弁理士おっくん” (2026.4)
- Diamond Online: “The inventor of ‘flick input’ who also writes songs for AKB48 — the way of life of Kota OGAWA, a singular talent who earned ‘100 lifetimes’ worth” (2025.10)
- Diamond Online: “Why the Japanese inventor who earned ‘100 lifetimes’ worth from flick input sold the patents to Microsoft rather than Apple” (2025.10)
- CAMPFIRE × Edison Lab joint seminar: “Inventor Kota OGAWA's approach to ideas — how to go from generating an idea to making it real through crowdfunding” (2026.6)
Patents
Message
Invention starts from the seed of an idea that anyone has. Drawing on my own experience, I place value on protecting and growing clients' dreams and challenges in the form of patents.
Full profile
Born in Tokyo in 1977, lives in Kamakura. Kept working in music after graduating from university, and came into the world of intellectual property through filing a patent application for an invention of their own. Passed the patent attorney examination in 2007. While practicing as a patent attorney, earned a master's degree in management of technology at Tokyo Institute of Technology. Patented a flick input technology conceived during that program and sold it to Microsoft founder Bill Gates, among other results achieved as an inventor.
Still active in music, writing songs for AKB48, Momoiro Clover, Park Yong-ha and others, and performing as the vocalist of “Kota Ogawa & Tomason.” Appears in a regular segment on FM Yokohama's program “SHONAN by the Sea” and organizes local music events in Kita-Kamakura and Inamuragasaki. Founded EDISON LAB in 2021 and published the book “How to Make a Living from Inventing: I Wrote It All Down” in 2025. Works on three axes: inventor, musician, and patent attorney.