*Note: A newer article published in February 2017, summarizing the content below, is available here. Requirements Then and Now: Patent applications have to be filed before a prior art disclosure. But what if the disclosure is the inventor’s own? Can…
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* You can read more recent articles and our strengths in reinstatement after a missed deadline at our Reinstatement portal page. “If I missed the 30-month deadline for filing a PCT Japan National Phase application, can I still reinstate it?”…
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Under the Law for Strengthening of Industrial and Technological Competitiveness, the JPO has implemented measures to reduce fees for small businesses, venture companies, and other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) if they satisfy certain requirements. The discounts apply…
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In Japan, all benrishi (patent attorneys) qualify to render prosecutorial, filing and expert opinion roles regarding IP matters. In terms of litigations, however, their adversarial role is limited to appeals against the Japan Patent Office’s decision. For the benrishi to…
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The results of the Japanese IP Infringement Litigator Examination was announced on December 18, 2012 and revealed that only 136 applicants passed the examination, down by approximately 25% from the previous year. Until the admissions process for future litigators becomes less regulated, it is important to keep in mind the two types of patent attorneys in existence in Japan and make an informed choice in finding representation that is right for you.
In an unusual copyright infringement case involving origami, a Japanese origami artist sued a Tokyo network television broadcaster for allegedly reproducing the folding instructions of his original origami top on the company’s web site. The artist claimed the network infringed the artists’ copyright, but is an origami diagram a copyrightable subject matter?
Keisen’s instant fee calculator is designed to help attorneys and/or legal service professionals obtain fee estimate for the PCT Japanese national phase entry and Japanese trademark application.This calculator is also for the holders of published PCT or trademark applications seeking…
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Why does Keisen recommend foreign applicants to file their PoA to the Japan Patent Office (JPO)? * Keisen Associates has an updated article on Power of Attorney submission from April 2018 here. As part of the their “Applicant-Friendly Procedure Strategy,”…
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The JPO’s Internet filing system came into effect in 2005. The system makes it possible for International applicants to file patent, trademark and design applications via the Internet from anywhere in the world. Keisen Associates has adopted this Internet filing…
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The Japan Patent Office’s (JPO) new guidelines for filing an appeal against an examiner’s “Notice of Final Refusal” will go into effect April 1, 2009. The JPO is responding to a long-standing complaint among Japanese applicants who’ve been frustrated by…
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