JPO-CNIPA Examiner Exchange Program Held

August 4, 2025

On June 24 to 27, 2025, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) held an *Examiner Exchange Program with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA).

The JPO has conducted Examiner Exchange Programs with the CNIPA since 2008.

This year, we held an in-person program by inviting CNIPA examiners to Japan. Eight JPO patent examiners and six CNIPA patent examiners participated in the program, and deepened understanding of each Office’s examination practices by exchanging information on prior art search methods and operations of examination standards in four technical fields of advertising, display means and label, crushing and pulverising, metal processing, and electrical transmission and distribution.

The JPO will continue to cooperate on patent examination with 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 those of an overseas IP Office and to promote mutual use of prior art search results and examination results through discussions on each other's prior art search methods and examination practices.

[Last updated 4 August 2025]