Website: http://www.jpo.go.jp/
What are the responsibilities of the Japan Trademark and Patent Office?
The main responsibilities of the Japan Patent Office are: acceptance, examination, authorization or registration of industrial property applications; formulation of industrial property policies; revision of the industrial property system; international cooperation in the field of industrial property; and improvement of industrial property information to promote the development of Japanese industries.
Examination Process at the Japanese Trademark and Patent Office
Japan implements the first-to-file system, application disclosure system and substantive examination request system for invention patents; when the invention technology has been implemented or infringed, the applicant may request an early examination; within 6 months from the date of authorization, anyone may raise an objection to the JPO Reexamination Department; since 1994, applications to Japan may be submitted in English, but a Japanese application must be submitted again within 2 months from the date of application; Japan has an early review system. The protection period for an invention patent is 20 years from the date of application.
Japan used to adopt a substantive examination system for utility models, but in 1994 it was changed to a non-substantive examination registration system, whereby applicants can request the JPO to provide a technical evaluation report for utility models. Since April 1, 2005, the protection period for utility models has been extended from 6 years from the application date to 10 years from the application date.
Japan implements a substantive examination system for industrial designs (published after authorization), and applicants can request early examination. Since 2005, design applicants can submit a request to the JPO after discovering infringing imitations. The JPO will then prioritize the examination of their applications and close the cases within one month (eight months for ordinary applications). The protection period for a design is 15 years from the date of application.
The trademark protection period in Japan is 10 years from the date of registration and can be renewed indefinitely for 10 years.
