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Indonesia, Thailand Continuing Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot Program with Japan Patent Office beyond 2024

Indonesia’s Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP) and Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property in Thailand (DIP) are extending their Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) trial arrangements with the Japan Patent Office 3 years and 2 years, respectively, from the start of…
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New Policy, April 2023: Japan Patent Office Allows Suspension of Examination for Divisional Application, Where Parent Application is Pending Appeal

Worried what to do about a divisional patent application while the parent application appeal is pending in Japan? How to handle the fork in the road? Starting from April 1, 2023, for divisional applications filed in conjunction with a Request…
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New Rule, April 2023: Reinstatement for Patent Applications to Meet “Unintentional” Instead of “Due Care” Standards

April 1, 2023 marks an important shift for those who might realize, with dread, that a key patent deadline in Japan has been missed. The standard for Reinstatement (Revival with a late filing) is softening from “Justifiable” to “Unintentional” Delay….
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Japan IP: Stricter Trademark Import Rules, Looser Late Filing Standards

In 2021, the Japanese Diet (parliament) passed various amendments to intellectual property law. Two major changes were made, and this month, Prime Minister Kishida’s Cabinet issued executive ordinances to implement the amendments. Here is a summary of the two major…
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