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

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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

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Thank You!