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Home> About JPO> Commissioner's Message> New Year Greetings 2025 – ONO Yota, JPO Commissioner

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New Year Greetings 2025 – ONO Yota, JPO Commissioner

I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year.

The Japanese economy is at a critical juncture towards overcoming deflation, in other words, changing over to virtuous cycle of wages and prices. The public and private sectors need to work together to promote positive investment in innovation, in order to break away from long-standing deflationary mindset, and to achieve the transformation from cost-cutting economy model to growth-oriented economy model led by the combination of wage increase and capital investment. At this juncture, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) is working on its policies focusing on IP business management, that is, earning money through IP and improving the quality of management. I recognize that the true value of the JPO’s policies is now being tested.

In the revised Act on Strengthening Industrial Competitiveness promulgated in June of last year, services providing advice and IP support to SMEs were added to the duties of the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (INPIT). Simply put, this means that the INPIT shall work as an accompanying runner for businesses, which include not only SMEs but also start-ups, universities and companies practicing open-and-close strategies. However, from a regional perspective, assistance from the INPIT alone is only a 'point’ of support, so the IP Business Management Support Network was established to expand the ‘point’ support to an 'areal' support. In concrete terms, this cooperative network by four parties, namely the JPO, the INPIT, the Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA), and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) was launched year before last to improve the IP business management literacy of regional SMEs, start-ups, etc., and to strengthen and enhance IP business management support. In December last year, the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency newly joined the network and now it has become a five-party cooperation network.

To make great use of this network, we selected three regions, Aomori prefecture, Ishikawa prefecture and Kobe City, as focus areas for IP support in April last year, and thorough the projects to create model regions for IP business management support, we aim to promote sustainable utilization of IP and creation of innovation by regional enterprises, while strengthening the cooperation of regional support organizations, and developing human resource. Furthermore, we intend to expand the regions supported by the integrated expertise in IP business management in the form of ‘areal’ development rather than ‘point’ development, by sharing acquired knowledge and successful cases in the projects.

Next, regarding the speed and quality of patent examination, we achieved the goal of reducing the total pendency, period from examination request to patent grant, to 14 months or less at the end of FY2023. According to the Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2024 by the Cabinet Office, we are expected to maintain this speed of total pendency within 14 months even in 10 years from now (FY 2033), and we have started to work towards the next goal. It may seem easy to maintain the state which we have already achieved, but the workload required for examination has continued to increase due to the change of environment surrounding the patent examination of recent years, such as the increase in patent documents, including foreign-language ones, requiring prior art searches and the sophistication and complexity of inventions resulting from the penetration of AI technology and other factors. Therefore, it is essential to make changes toward improving the examination system and operational efficiency. Adjusting the examination system to the technical trends by measures to improve the capacity of examiners, such as encouraging them to become proficient in multiple technical fields, and by actively utilizing digital/AI technologies for operational efficiency, we are working not only to maintain the 'world’s fastest and highest quality of patent examination' but also to achieve our ultimate goal of supporting the creation of innovation.

As the utilization of digital technology is accelerated, our business environment is changing rapidly. Every system in the world must adapt to digital transformation (DX), and the IP systems are no exceptions. The JPO is reviewing the appropriate protection of rights for cross-border implementation of network-related inventions. Presently, the issue is being discussed by members of the Patent System Subcommittee with diverse expertise. Likewise, in the Design System Subcommittee, “Design system for design in virtual space” and “Appropriate response in the design system in the light of the technical development of generative AI” are being discussed. I hope the discussions will be further deepened so that consensus can be reached on institutional measures in a timely manner, while listening to users’ voices. Lawsuits on the inventorship of AI are being seen in many countries, and it is a topic that is attracting a great deal of attention in Japan as well. There are various issues regarding generative AI and inventions. We will consider these issues head-on, and if institutional measures become necessary, we will respond.

As regards our international efforts, the basic premise is that when a company aims to expand overseas, an IP system must be in place and properly operated in the country or region where the company is expanding so that it can obtain and enforce patent rights in that country or region. The JPO continues to provide effective support for the development and strengthening of IP systems in these countries or regions by offering training and dispatching experts.

In addition, we are strengthening cooperative relationships with overseas IP Offices and WIPO through dialogue, and actively disseminating information on effective initiatives of the JPO to lead international harmonization of IP systems.

We are also working to encourage SMEs seeking expand businesses overseas to acquire patent and other rights overseas so that they will not have problems afterwards. In Japan, we have an IP consultation desk for oversea business development at the INPIT. Outside of Japan, specialists are assigned to some of the overseas offices of the JETRO to provide individual consultation services. Furthermore, we have subsidiary programs for the cost and other expenses when applying overseas. The budget for the program was increased from FY2024 and improvements were made so that more people can take advantage of the program. The JPO has been implementing the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) with 44 IP Offices, representing the largest network in the world, to support users to obtain patent rights overseas faster.

We will continue to support our users in Japan to develop businesses overseas with various measures described above.

Lastly, at the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan that finally opens this year, we aim to disseminate the message that IP is a useful tool for solving social issues globally and achieving the SDGs.

Specifically, from October 2 to 10, we plan to hold exhibitions, demonstrations, and stage events at the EXPO Exhibition Centre, so that even those who are not familiar with intellectual property can enjoy themselves and become familiar with intellectual property.

Also, on October 4, in cooperation with WIPO and other overseas IP Offices, an international forum on promotion of IP utilization and other measures for solving social issues is planned to be held in the Theme Weeks Studio.

This year, as every year, the JPO will further strive to support your business by encouraging innovation through speedy and high-quality examinations, and by promptly offering information on our new measures. I appreciate your continued understanding and cooperation in the administration of the JPO, and I wish you good health and further success in 2025.

ONO Yota,
JPO Commissioner

[Last updated 6 January 2025]

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