According to the Japan Patent Office (JPO), methods for treatment of the human body by surgery or therapy and diagnostic methods practiced on the human body fall outside the scope of “industrially applicable inventions” and are, therefore, unpatentable. In only…
Read more
We published an article in August 2021 and a followup newsflash in December regarding the Japanese government’s move toward a legal framework for a new secret patent system. The task force considering aspects of economic security for Japan presented their…
Read more
The Japan Patent Office (JPO) announced on June 6 that it has begun to make available its multi-category classifications for patent inventions directed toward Internet of Things (IoT) technology in various sectors. This is to enable more precise searching and…
Read more
In 2016, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) issued a patent for a “system” of serving steak meals to fast food chain Ikinari! Steak. The method was fairly simple, and caused a stir because it seemed hardly worthy of a patent….
Read more
* January 2018 update: This patent has been revoked as of late 2017. Pepper Food Service (Tokyo), owner of the growing “Ikinari! Steak” franchise, obtained a patent (the link is to the patent owner’s Japanese press release) for its “System…
Read more
The JPO has published the completely updated “Examination Guidelines for Patents and Utility Models” and “Examination Handbook for Patents and Utility Models” on September 16, 2015. (The “Guidelines” take effect only for examinations conducted from October 1, 2015.) An important…
Read more
By Toyomi Ohara, Patent Agent & Technical Adviser The Japanese Patent Office (“JPO”) introduced a revised version of the “Examination Guidelines for Medical Inventions,” in October of 2009. The revised guidelines are applicable to all patent applications being examined after…
Read more
The Japanese Government’s IP Strategic Headquarters announced plans to revise the patent examination standards for medical inventions of known drug compounds. The new standard will grant patent protection for new and inventive dosage regimens and modes of administration as a…
Read more