JPO Provided IPOPHL Examiners with Face-to-Face Examination Practice Training Program

June 10, 2024

The Japan Patent Office (JPO) provided a five-day face-to-face Examination Practice Training Program in the field of Smart Agriculture for the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) patent examiners from May 20 to 24, 2024.

In this program, one JPO examiner, with extensive practical experience in patent examinations served as an instructor, and one JPO junior examiner served as a training assistant. Thirty-six IPOPHL patent examiners participated as trainees.

The trainees were assigned to work on case studies using relevant existing patent applications in the field of Smart Agriculture. Through group discussions focused on determining inventive step, the trainees deepened their understanding of the JPO’s patent examination practices, including the JPO’s Multi-Factor Reasoning (MFR) criteria.^*1

Participating IPOPHL examiners commented that the training materials were well-prepared and easy to understand, and that the group discussions were very meaningful.

The JPO will continue to provide cooperation in patent examination practices to examiners in Philippines and other emerging countries where further business expansion of Japan’s companies is expected, thereby supporting the development, and strengthening of examination systems in those countries.

^*1 For more information about MFR, please refer to “Multi-Factor Reasoning” in the Determination of Inventive Step (issued March 2022) (PDF:4,661KB)

Group photograph

Face-to-face training

References

• JPO/GPA Training

[Last updated 10 June 2024]