The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) reported recently that the Japan Patent Office (JPO) will become the world’s first Patent Prosecution Highway (pilot) program partner with France from January 1, 2021, ahead of any other country. The…
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The Japan Patent Office published its annual Status Report in April. Here are a few of the things we noted. Patent Prosecution in Japan -Steady decline in domestic and international patent filings (under 345,000 in 2010 and nearly 308,000 in…
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* December 3, 2021 update: the JPO and INPI are extending their PPH trial through November 30, 2026, as December 2, 2021 update to JPO page on PPH with Brazil states. The Japan Patent Office (JPO) continues to open up…
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The Japan Patent Office welcomed a delegation from the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) in October 2019, leading to signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between Japan and Saudi Arabia’s patent offices. Included is an agreement to begin…
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Under the “Act to Revise a part of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act (May 30, 2018 Article 33)”, the JPO has greatly simplified the existing procedure to reduce fees, for the purpose of helping small and micro entities. As previously,…
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There has been some guessing among patent commentators that the Japan Patent Office (JPO) will make it easier for small venture businesses to put their patent applications on the “Super Accelerated Examination” (Super souki shinsa) track, making First Action pendency…
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The JPO published its JPO Status Report 2018 recently, including reports on the JPO’s activities in promoting IP domestically and globally. Its “Facts and Events 2017” section highlights some of the standards in examination. (The report is written in English…
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The JPO is extending its Patent Prosecution Highway programs for accelerated examinations of patent applications allowed in the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) and Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), both into early 2021. The EAPO provides patent prosecution services…
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Applicants wonder about filing pre-examination amendments (for example, to delete claims) for the Japanese national stage of their Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) international applications. Filing international phase amendments (under Article 19 or Article 34 of the Patent Cooperation Treaty [PCT])…
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Chapter 1 of the 2017 Annual Report by the JPO does not surprise in too many ways. Quantity tends to be stable or declining, but the speed is up. The patent filings to the JPO have continued to decline over…
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