What’s New
The Japan Patent Office (JPO) officially announced the ending date of the Examination Fees Deferment Program (January 25, 2012)
As you may recall, the JPO started this Program in April 2009 aiming to alleviate applicants’ financial burden under the global economic recession begun in 2008. Under this program, applicants could defer the examination fee payment for approximately one year. Considering the still continuing economic recession, the JPO has decided to decrease the examination official [...]
KEISEN ASSOCIATES’ SERVICE FEES MORE COMPETITIVE THAN EVER (December 3, 2011)
As the value of the Japanese yen continues to rise against the United States dollar, we are pleased to remind our clients that Keisen Associates is a Japanese law firm that bills its clients in U.S. dollars. Unlike Japanese law firms that operate exclusively in Japan and must bill in Japanese yen, Keisen Associates is [...]
Taro Yaguchi speaks at 2011Patent Information Fair & Conference in Tokyo (November 9-11, 2011) (November 8, 2011)
Our senior partner Taro Yaguchi will present as a speaker at the 2011 Patent Information Fair & Conference in Tokyo on November 11, 2011. Based on his experience and actual cases, he will speak about the reality of international licensing activities and succesesful support of international licensing. Patent Information Fair & Conference is an annual [...]
Taro Yaguchi speaks at Biotech 2011 confecence in Philadelphia (October 25, 2011)
Our senior partner Taro Yaguchi will present as a speaker at Biotech 2011 conference in Philadelphia on October 24, 2011. His presentation focuses on problems and opportunities encountered by Foreign Biotech companies doing business in the United States as part of the International Track entitled: “What’s the Attraction? Why International Businesses Set up Shop in [...]
The Japan Patent Office (JPO) announced new reduced fees for requesting an examination (July 12, 2011)
The ordinance to revise fees related to the Patent Act of Japan was passed by the cabinet on July 8, 2011, and the new reduced fees for requesting an examination was announced by the JPO on July 8, 2011. The new fees become effective on August 1, 2011. The reduction is aproximately 25%. Following is [...]
Keisen Associates Sponsors Cherry Blossom Festival Culture Week (April 4, 2011)
This Sunday, April 10, 2011, marks the crowning event of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia, Sakura Sunday. Held in the Horticultural Center in Fairmount Park, Sakura Sunday commemorates the season by celebrating Japanese food, music and art. The festival itself, however, is from March 4th to April 15th, 2011, with various events [...]
Keisen Associates attending 2011 AIPLA Spring meeting in San Francisco (April 4, 2011)
Partner, Junichiro Yanagi and Toyomi Ohara will be attending the 2011 AIPLA Spring meeting in San Francisco from 12 to 14 May. If you would like to arrange a meeting during the conference with them, please email to jyanagi@keisenassociates.com ?
JPO Logo gets a face lift (March 25, 2011)
The Japan Patent Office (JPO) has created a new logo to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the industrial property right system in Japan. more info
when a Japanese translation needs to be filed? (March 25, 2011)
Q. I want to know when a Japanese translation needs to be filed. Should it be filed with or without a PCT application at the time of the Japanese national phase entry? A. According to the Japanese patent law, a PCT application can be entered into the Japanese national phase without a Japanese translation. Then, [...]
The Japan Patent Office (JPO)’s Second Announcement Following The Earthquake (Extension of Deadlines) (March 22, 2011)
Following the fist anouncement made on March 14, 2011, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) made the second announcement regarding the special emergency safeguard measures on March 18, 2011.According to the Article 3 Section 3 of the Special Measures Concerning the Preservation of Rights and Interests of Victims of Specified Disasters Act, the JPO will extend [...]
JPO 2010 Annual Report (March 21, 2011)
The Japan Patent Office’s (JPO) 2010 Annual Report was published in May. The 200-page report disclosed both domestic and international trends in applications, registrations, time for pendency, number of trials and other data of interest. The following are some of the highlights. General Trends for 2009: The number of patent applications filed in Japan has [...]
The Japan Patent Office (JPO) announcement regarding The 2011 Off The Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake (March 14, 2011)
The Japan Patent Office announced that the 2011 Off The Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake officially qualifies for the measures defined in Article 2, Section 1 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning the Preservation of Rights and Interests of Victims of Specified Disasters. Accordingly, the following measures will apply: For deadlines with non-statutory periods [...]
Japan, United States, the European Union and other countries agree on a landmark proposal to combat counterfeit and pirated goods (October 6, 2010)
An international pact on tackling counterfeit and pirated goods was tentatively agreed upon among 11 nations and regions in a global negotiation that took place October 2 in Tokyo. The main feature of this Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement or ACTA is giving customs officials the authority to seize counterfeit products without a court order or a [...]
Changing Ownership of I.P. Rights in Japan: A General Guideline (September 20, 2010)
by Keiko K. Middleton, IP Technical Advisor, and Taro Yaguchi, Japanese Patent Attorney Outside Japan, the existence of Japan’s strict rules as to the contents of a Certificate of Assignment are not well-known. The Certificate of Assignment is a document to be filed to record an ownership change of an intellectual property right (patent, trademark, [...]
New JPO Commissioner Announced (September 14, 2010)
Tetsuhiro Hosono resigned as commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (JPO) on August 23, 2010, and was replaced by Yoshiyuki Iwai. In his inauguration speech address, Iwai said he will continue to overhaul the patent system to meet the demands for an accelerated patent examination by increasing the number of examiners and outsourcing searches for [...]
Japan Patent Office”Case Study on Inventive Step”is published in English (September 7, 2010)
At the 3rd meeting of the Committee on Examination Standards held on June 30, 2009, the Committee concluded that a revision of the examination guidelines will not be necessary at this time in light of stable granting of patent rights and the stability of granted patents. It did preface that by concluding the committee will [...]
Japan and China Strengthening Cooperation for Protecting Intellectual Property Rights (June 22, 2010)
by Konomi Takeshita, Patent AttorneyRecently, Japan and China appear to be bolstering their cooperation in improving the protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs), in order to support economic stability in the region. In June 2009, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and established for the first time a working group to protect [...]
Japan Reinforces Copyright Law for 2010 (December 17, 2009)
Effective January 2010, several amendments to the current copyright law will go into effect. There are several clauses included in the revision, but the two main issues are 1) the illegal downloading of copyrighted material, 2) legalization of internet search engine caches. As for the first amendment, it will no longer be legal to download [...]
Provisional Exclusive&Non-Exclusive License can now be Registered (July 15, 2009)
Effective April 1, 2009, provisional exclusive license and/or provisional non-exclusive license can be registered at the Japan Patent Office based on a license agreement before an application is granted a patent. The new recordation system will provide protection for the licensee of the pending patent application against any third party who subsequently acquires the right [...]
Japanese Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) : Where Is It Heading? (May 12, 2009)
Japan’s Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters (IPSH) held its 22nd meeting on April 21 with the purpose of mapping out a five-year National Intellectual Property Strategy program. The IPSH was created in 2003 by then Prime Minister Jun’ichiro Koizumi, an advocate of introducing a stronger patent system in Japan to help the country to become an [...]
Recent Trends in Japanese Patent Litigations (May 1, 2009)
Intellectual property right (IPR) protection in Japan has been strengthened in the past decade through proposed pro-patent policies. The intended effect behind these policies is to bolster Japan’s sluggish economy and increase its global competitiveness. Two amendments enforced in the last decade stand out as having significant effects on the Japanese patent litigation system; namely, [...]
“Darjeeling Tea”- One of Four Foreign GIs Registered Under the Amended Trademark Law (April 2, 2009)
Three Years after the Regional Collective Trademark Law went into effect, the system is still not well known among foreign business associations. The Japan Patent Office announced in February, 2009, that 873 regional marks were registered since the law went into force in 2006, and only four of them were regional brand names from foreign [...]
Change in Japan Patent Office’s Examination Fee Payment Schedule Effective April 1, 2009 (April 2, 2009)
Severe economic downturn in Japan has recently spurred the Government to set up an emergency examination fee postponement plan. Effective April 1, 2009, applicants filing a request for an examination will receive a one-year extension for payments of the official fee which is normally due at the time the request is filed. It is important [...]