*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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The applicant must submit to the Patent Office directly or by mail an application for trademark registration having the following requirements: The applicant’s full name, address and nationality. Details of the mark. If the mark consists of only plain block…
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In Japan, a patent application will not be examined unless a request for examination is filed within three (3) years of the filing date. One of the most frequently asked questions from non-Japanese clients is about when to file this…
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MADRID PROTOCOL, Responding to the Notification of the Provisional Refusal with Japan
I. Overview In Japan, a patent application will not be examined unless a request for a substantial examination is filed. After a request is filed, it usually takes more than two years for a case to be examined. The accelerated…
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