The US-JP Collaborative Search Pilot Program (CSP), started in 2015, enables patent applicants for the United States and Japan to seek synchronized and speedier search and office action results. The USPTO and JPO recently announced their continuation of the program…
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In 2021, the Japanese Diet (parliament) passed various amendments to intellectual property law. Two major changes were made, and this month, Prime Minister Kishida’s Cabinet issued executive ordinances to implement the amendments. Here is a summary of the two major…
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Although the Japan Patent Office (JPO) generally has one of the world’s fastest patent examination rates (average in 2020: First Action within 10.2 months, total pendency from Request for Examination 15.0 months–see JPO Status Report 2022, p. 4, 47), sometimes…
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The Japan Patent Office (JPO) is following the Japanese government and much of the world, it seems, to punish Russian economic power. Applicants in the Russian Federation and EAPO party states will need to go through the standard patent examination…
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For the third time, we take a look at the relatively new Designs that can be protected (and challenged) in Japan–the Interior Designs. What is a Japanese Interior Design Patent? Can a layout of a room actually be “intellectual property”?…
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This time, we take a look more at Building Designs so that you can file to protect your images, and be aware of possible infringement risks, in Japan. It seems that countries’ approaches to protecting intellectual property for an architectural…
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Japan has allowed such “multi-multi claims” (described as “any dependent claim that refers to more than one other claim in the alternative (“multiple dependent claim”) which depends from any other multiple dependent claim”).[1] However, beware that if you were intending…
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Unless a patent was filed in Japan a while ago (before April 1, 2004), the Japan Patent Office (JPO) will be charging more for many of the Japanese patent (including for PCT filings) and trademark fees, effective April 1, 2022….
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In the USA, a Design must be “any new, original and ornamental design for an article of manufacture” (35 U.S. Code § 171[a], emphasis added), but icons and other images may be registered if treated as part of a manufactured…
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In the past couple of years, Japan’s government has been trying to reform the work environment and make it more conducive to remote work and easier (digital) procedures. One of its trumpeted changes has been the removal of requirements for…
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