IP IN JAPAN


THE YEAR IN REVIEW


The weak yen is still affecting the Japanese economy but there are some positive moves to report in the IP sector, says Shoichi Okuyama.


Backlog reduced and a goal set


T e Japan Patent Offi ce (JPO) has been saying that by the end of the 2013 fi scal year, that is by the end of March 2014, the average period from the fi ling of a request for examination to the issue of a fi rst action would be reduced to 11 months. With this goal expected to be reached, the JPO has announced a new goal. In March 2014, the cabinet minister overseeing the JPO announced that the


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average time between the fi ling of a request for examination and the issue of a fi nal action would be reduced from the current average of 29.6 months to 14 months by the 2023 fi scal year.


Four IP laws to be amended


T e Patent, Utility Model, Design and Trademark laws will be amended soon. A bill covering these laws and the Patent Attorney Law has been


World Intellectual Property Review Annual 2014


submitted to the Diet, and it was expected to pass by June at the latest. Items included in the bill are as follows:


• T e post-grant opposition procedure will be revived for patents;


• Japan will accede to the Hague Agreement for international registration of industrial designs; and


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