Patent Experts Discuss Examination Practices in Fields including Pharmaceuticals and Quality Management at the Fifth ASEAN-Japan Patent Experts Meeting

February 28, 2025

The Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the intellectual property (IP) offices of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states held the Fifth ASEAN-Japan Patent Experts Meeting online on February 26, 2025. During the meeting, patent examination practices in the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology fields were discussed as a new topic, along with patent examination quality management.

An interim report regarding patent examination practices in the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology fields was presented for a research project conducted by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in cooperation with JPO and ASEAN member states. Also reported on were examination standards of the IP offices of ASEAN member states, and the judgements of each office in hypothetical cases. A Q&A session was additionally held for participants regarding the trends in revisions to examination standards.

The JPO’s quality management officer introduced Japan’s initiatives in the area of patent examination quality management, and many questions were subsequently raised by participants. Furthermore, discussions were held about the current situation and effective measures for quality management at the IP offices of the ASEAN member states, which deepened mutual understanding regarding the differences in quality management systems at each office.

The JPO will continue to cooperate with and support the ASEAN member states in the fields of patent examination operation and quality management to further enhance the patent systems in their countries.

[Last updated 28 February 2025]