The Five IP Offices (IP5)

What is the IP5?

The IP5 is a framework established in 2007 by the intellectual property offices of Japan, the United States, Europe, China, and Korea.

The number of patent applications filed with the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the European Patent Office (EPO), the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), which make up the IP5, accounts for more than 80% of all patent applications worldwide.

In order to lead global initiatives on intellectual property, the IP5 Offices are continuously discussing issues such as patent harmonization of practices and procedures, mutual use of examination results, enhancement of examination quality, and improvement of patent information services. This takes place through meetings not only at the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner level but also in working groups consisting of working-level officials.

IP5 vision

At the 16th IP5 Heads of Office Meeting in June 2023, the IP5 Offices agreed on the following new IP5 vision. The IP5 Offices are working together under this vision.

"Building a sustainable future by fostering innovation and economic growth through an inclusive and accessible patent system. Promoting patent protection through harmonization of practices and procedures, high-quality and timely search and examination results, worksharing and access to patent information and achieving an efficient, cost-effective and user-friendly international patent landscape."

The structure of IP5

Meetings with IP5 Industry

In 2012, the IP5 Offices held the first IP5 Heads of Office and IP5 Industry meetings. The IP5 Industry group consists of the Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA), the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), BusinessEurope (BE), the Korea Intellectual Property Association (KINPA), and the Patent Protection Association of China (PPAC). Since then, the IP5 Offices and IP5 Industry have held both high level and working level meetings, where mutual views have been exchanged.

Related links

• Results of the 17th Meeting of the IP5 Heads of Office
• Results of the 16th Meeting of the IP5 Heads of Office
• Results of the 15th Meeting of the IP5 Heads of Office (Press Release on the METI Web Site) (External link)
• Results of the 14th Meeting of the IP5 Heads of Office (Press Release on the METI Web Site) (External link)
• How to use the One Portal Dossier (OPD) service (English)
• Patent Lifecycle in JPO (English)(PDF:95KB)
• IP5 Offices website (External link)

[Last updated 3 July 2024]

Contact Us

International Policy Division, Policy Planning and Coordination Department Japan Patent Office E-mail:PA0800@jpo.go.jp