IP

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SESSION 15 FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR IP POLICY MAKERS
IN ASIA PACIFIC TOSHIMICHI MORIYA JAPAN PATENT
OFFICE
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The JPOs Challenge the Future of IP

• Toshimichi Moriya
• Deputy Commissioner
• Japan Patent Office

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World Trends in Patent Applications
Drastically increased after 1995. Reached 1.6M
in 2004. Increase in foreign applications,
especially PCT route, is significant.
Patent Applications in the World
Breakdown of Foreign Applications
1600
source WIPO PATENT REPORT 2006
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Patent filing in APEC economies
(thousands)
2000
Applications filed worldwide
1.6 million
Duplicated Applications in APEC (approx. 24)
300,000
1500
Others
350 thousand
(21.9)
Other APEC economies
201 thousand (12.5)
China
1000
130 thousand (8.1)
Korea
APEC
140 thousand (8.7)
1.25M
(78.1)
USA
357 thousand
(22.3)
500
Japan
423 thousand
(26.4)
0
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Patent Applications and Examination in Japan
Trends in the number of examination requests,
number of first actions, and examination waiting
period
Number of applications
(thousands)
500
450
30
26
26
26
437
439
417
25
427
421
413
423
400
24
406
25
22
400
379
350
397
21
290
19
300
20
(Length month)
244
300
250
(Number)
(Number)
15
200
200
150
10
100
100
5
50
0
0
0
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2006
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
(Year)
(Year)
Number of applications (unit1,000)
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National IP Strategy of Japan

• Nov. 2002 Basic Law on IP
• Mar. 2003 IP Strategy Headquarters
• - Led by the Prime Minister
• Revising IP strategic program annually
• Planning and implementing policies to promote
  creation, protection, and utilization of
  intellectual property to transform Japan into an
  intellectual property based nation

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JPO Challenges

• IP systems The basis of industrial and
  economic evolution
• Providing a patent of high quality
• Timely and inexpensive IPR acquisition
• Dissemination and promotion of IP information
• Effective IPR enforcement
• International harmonization of IP laws and
  practices

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How the JPO Addresses the Challenges

• Flexible recruitment of examiners (Fixed-term
  examiners having specific expertise)
• Outsourcing of prior art search (Utilization of
  private-sector resources)
• Promoting computerization in every field
• Strengthening IPR enforcement
• Expanding international cooperation

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More Examiners, More Outsourcing

• Increase in Number of Examiners
• 500 fixed-term examiners (2004-2008)

(2) Outsourcing of Prior Art Searches
(Thousand)
240
226
187
200
192
178
160
142
160
The total number of
114
100
120
outsource searches
80
40
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Fiscal Year
10
Two Types of Outsourcing
Report through face-to- face dialogue. Request
additional searches if needed
1)Dialogue-type (ReportMeeting)
Dialogue-type (ReportMeeting)

• Follow-up discussion helps examiners understand
  the invention and the prior art.
• Examiners advise and request additional search to
  improve quality of search.

Examiner
Searcher
Search
report preparation
2) Search Report-type (Repot only)
Report (paper)
Search
Examiner
report preparation
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Computerization in the JPO
1.Computerized F-term Retrieval
System2.Electronic Filing
100
98.4
96.8
Electronic Filing Trend
80
90.3
99.8
82.7
60
40
43
20
0
1990.12
2005.12
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The JPOs e-Filling
JPO
Applicants(Office or Home)

Free Electronic Filing Software
Internet or ISDN
Electronic Application Master file system
Functions Format Conversion to XML Simple
Formality Check
Fully characterized (XML) by manual error
correction
Downloadable from JPOs HP http//www.jpo.go.jp
Characterized by advanced OCR technology
Even If the application is submitted as a paper
document
OCR
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Office Automation in the JPO
Automatic creation of Bibliographic DB
Full-text Search Database
Automated Formality Examination
Electronic Business Operations
Electronic Processing of Examination Appeal
Fully-Automated Gazette publication
Machine Translation Service
AIPN
IPDL
Public
IP Offices
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Dissemination Promotion of IPR Information

• 1. Providing information at marginal cost
• 2. IP information via Internet (IPDL)
• 3. Dissemination of information in English
  language
• Publishing Patent Abstract Japan (PAJ)
• Machine translation service of patent gazette on
  IPDL
• Machine translation service of File Wrapper
  Information on AIPN
• 4. Examiners Search Environment available to
  the public
• 5.Teaching search expertise to the public

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Strengthening IPR Enforcement

• Judicial System Reform for IP Protection
• IP High Court (2005)
• Tokyo and Osaka district courts have exclusive
  jurisdiction over technology-related infringement
  civil cases (P/UM etc) (2005)
• Anti-counterfeit Efforts
• Expanding definition of infringement
• -Exporting counterfeit goods Possession of
  counterfeit goods for assignment
• Increased criminal penalty against infringement
  up to 10-years imprisonment and JPY10-million
  (about AU 106,000) fine
• Education and support to the public
• Cooperation with foreign countries

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International Cooperation with Foreign IP Offices

• Key Points
• Reducing financial/procedural burden for filing
  applications with foreign countries
• Mutual utilization of search/examination results
• Harmonization of patent laws and practices
• Assistance for capacity building
• Frameworks
• 1. Bilateral
• 2. Trilateral (JPO-USPTO-EPO,JPO-KIPO-SIPO)
• 3. Regional (APEC)

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International Cooperation

Patent Application Standard Format
JPO Format
Standard Format (Based on PCT)
EPO Format
USPTO Format

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Electronic Priority Document Exchange
International Cooperation
EPO
January 2007 -
TriNET
USPTO
JPO
KIPO
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Mutual Utilization of Search/Examination Results
International Cooperation

• Dossier Access System
• Mutual access system for file wrapper documents
• Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)

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Dossier Access System of the JPO
Epoline (internet web service for public)
K-PION (internet web service for IP
offices) Equipped K-E Machine Translation

• EPO

PAIR (internet web service for public)
planned spring 2007
KIPO
Dossier Access System on TriNET
AIPN (internet web service for IP
offices) Equipped J-E Machine Translation
JPO
TriNET
USPTO
Other 22 IP offices (AIPN is provided for total
25 offices)
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Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)

• If a patent application has been determined to be
  patentable in an office of first filing, the
  corresponding application is qualified for
  accelerated examination in an office of second
  filing.
• Benefits to applicants!
• Quick patent obtainment in foreign countries
  (ex. 26-month FA ? 23-month FA)
• High quality examination

Office of First Filing
Application
Patented
Office Action
Office of Second Filing utilizes search and
examination result of the Office of First Filing.
Office of Second Filing
Corresponding Application
Request for PPH
Accelerated Exam
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Harmonization of Patent Laws and Practices
International Cooperation

• Efforts on substantive patent law harmonization
• Discussion at WIPO
• Discussion at meeting of developed countries
  (Group B meeting)
• Harmonization of patent practices
• Comparative study on patent examination practices

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International Cooperation
Capacity Building

• Cooperation in human resources development
• Cooperation in computerization
• Cooperation in searches/examinations

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Summary The Challenges The Future of IP

• Domestic Effort
• Introduction of fixed-term examiners, expanding
  of outsourcing
• Promotion of computerization
• Strengthening of anti-counterfeit measures
• International Cooperation
• Streamlining of procedures
• Patent examination cooperation
• Capacity building

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Thank You!