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1
Tackling the BacklogTackling the Backlog - Measures to be
considered
Satoshi MoriyasuDirector
Japan Patent Office
Japan Patent Japan Patent OfficeOffice
2
IN:(1) Campaign to change applicant behavior
– High-level meetings with corporate executives
(2) Fee structure– Half refund system of examination request fee
OUT:(1) Increasing examiners
– 490 fixed-term examiners
(2) Outsourcing search– 237 thousand searches (predicted) for FY2009
(3) Work sharing– PPH programs with 12 Offices– Trilateral PCT-PPH pilot
Japan Patent Japan Patent OfficeOffice
Tackling the Backlog
3
Japan Patent Japan Patent OfficeOffice
Campaign to change applicant behavior
• High-level meetings with corporate executives(corporations ranking high in number of applications)– Careful selection of applications to request examination– Encouragement of further global applications – Over 100 meetings in fiscal year 2008
• Working-level meetings with corporate staff– Over 150 meetings in fiscal year 2008
4
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
1,965/month2,048/month502/month
(09/Aug/2006 - 08/Aug/2007)(09/Aug/2006 - 08/Aug/2007)
Half refund system
of examination request fee
Full refund system
of examination
request fee
(09/Aug/2007 - Sep/2009)(09/Aug/2007 - Sep/2009)
Number of withdrawals and abandonments after first actionNumber of withdrawals and abandonments before first action
Japan Patent Japan Patent OfficeOffice
Fee StructureNumber of Withdrawals and Abandonments
5
Number of patent examiners in the JPO
490
1202119011751174116211451126
490392
294196
98
11261243
1358
1468
1567
16801692
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 ( FY )
( persons )
Full-time examiners
Fixed-term examiners
Total
Japan Patent Japan Patent OfficeOffice
Increasing examiners
6(Forecasted values after FY2009)
65% of all searches for non-PCT applications is planned to be outsourced in FY 2009
Number of outsourced searches
252237
225213
197187
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010( FY )
( Thousand )
Japan Patent Japan Patent OfficeOffice
Outsourcing Search
7
Search/Examination
Allowable
Request for PPHRequest for PPHApplication
Office of First Filing (OFF)
Application
Paris Route
Accelerated Exam.
A
B
Examination
Request for PPHRequest for PPHC
PCT International Phase PCT National/Regional Phase
PCTApplication
Allowable
Request for PPHRequest for PPH
Accelerated Exam.
WO or IPER
Positive Opinion Accelerated
Exam.
PCT work products of a Trilateral Office
Request for PPH in a Trilateral Office
Work sharingPatent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
Japan Patent Japan Patent OfficeOffice
Office of
Second Filing (OSF)
8
Japan Patent Japan Patent OfficeOffice
Development of PPHNumber of PPH applications where the JPO is Office of first filing (OFF) or second filing (OSF)
020406080
100120140160180
2006
Jul-D
ec
2007
Jan-
Jun
2007
Jul-D
ec
2008
Jan-
Jun
2008
Jul-D
ec
2009
Jan-
Jun
2009
Jul-D
ec
JPO as OSF (OFF=UK, US, KR)
2006
Jul-D
ec0
100200300400500600700800
2007
Jan-
Jun
2007
Jul-D
ec
2008
Jan-
Jun
2008
Jul-D
ec
2009
Jan-
Jun
2009
Jul-D
ec
JPO as OFF (OSF=UK, US, KR)
9
OFF(JPO)
ApplicationApplicationFinal
Exam.Final
Exam.
OSF FAFA
FA Results
FAFA
OFF prioritizes examination of first
filing
CorrespondingApplication
CorrespondingApplication
OSF can utilize FAresults of OFF
30 months
12 months(Paris Priority)
JP-FIRST (JP - Fast Information Release STrategy)
Japan Patent Japan Patent OfficeOffice
10
Conclusions
• Unilateral effect (sometimes costly):– Campaign to change applicant behavior– Fee structure– Increasing examiners– Outsourcing search
• Bi- or multi-lateral effect (not so costly) :– Work sharing
• A “best-mix” ?• Cooperation among offices
11
Thank You!
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