Home> Announcements> Photo Gallery> April 2023> JPO-DPMA Examiner Exchange Program Held
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April 11, 2023
On March 14 to 15 and 22 to 24, 2023, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) held an *Examiner Exchange Program with Das Deutsche Patent- und Markenamt (the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA)).
Three examiners from the JPO and two examiners from the DPMA participated in the program.
For the discussions, both offices selected a technical field (Data Processing [Image Processing]), considering the number of cases in common between both offices. Examiners from both offices discussed the same examination cases.
In addition to the discussions on the cases, they exchanged information for quality control of patent examinations performed by the JPO, the DPMA and other IP offices.
This program was held online with a three day interval during the discussions. This allowed the examiners from both offices to efficiently sort out issues and prepare answers to the questions raised in the sessions, resulting in more meaningful discussions.
The JPO will continue to cooperate on patent examination with the IP offices of other countries.
*The Examiner Exchange Program is designed to foster a relationship of trust and deepen mutual understanding between the examiners of the JPO and overseas IP offices through discussions on each other's prior art search methods and examination practices, and to promote mutual use of prior art search results and examination results.
Participants of the Program
[Last updated 11 April 2023]