IP5 Trial and Appeal Boards High-Level Meeting Held

June 23, 2026

On June 17, 2026, the IP5 Trial and Appeal Boards High-Level Meeting hosted by the Japan Patent Office (JPO) was held in Sendai, Japan. The meeting brought together the five patent offices of Japan, Europe, Korea, China, and the United States (China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) attended online). The meeting was chaired by Mr. NONAKA Matsuo, Director-General of the Trial and Appeal Department (TAD) of the JPO.

The IP5 trial and appeal boards introduced their trial and appeal systems, their updates on recent developments, respectively, at the meeting. They also exchanged their experiences on efforts to improve quality and on improving operational efficiency through the use of AI and digitalization in trial and appeal departments. In addition, the JPO proposed “IP5 Administrative Judge Exchange Program” related to trial and appeal practices, with the aim of further strengthening their relationships. The offices agreed to continue the discussion toward its implementation.

On the day before the meeting, June 16, 2026, a user symposium hosted by the JPO—co-hosted with the other four IP5 offices and World Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO)—was held in Tokyo . At the symposium, representatives from the trial and appeal departments of each IP5 office and WIPO took the stage to introduce their respective initiatives. With a large number of participants, the speakers delivered presentations, followed by lively Q&A session on topics such as the use of AI in the trial and appeal procedures.
 

IP5 Trial and Appeal Boards High-Level Meeting
(From left to right: Dr. Ingo Beckedorf, Deputy of the President, Boards of Appeal, EPO;
Mr. NONAKA Matsuo, Director-General of the TAD, JPO; Mr. Kim Ki-beom, President of the IPTAB, MOIP;
Mr. Kalyan Deshpande, Chief Administrative Patent Judge, Patent Trial and Appeal Board, USPTO.)

Mr. NONAKA Matsuo, Director-General of the TAD, JPO

User Symposium

[Last updated 23 June 2026]