Information on Foreign Industrial Property Systems

International Cooperation Division

This page provides the texts (both in English and Japanese) of the industrial property laws and regulations in various countries.

Please note that the translations of the texts and of the other information contained in this site are not official and are not always the latest. Please refer to the original texts of the laws of the countries concerned.

List of Laws and Regulations

Japanese

The laws and regulations listed here are unofficial translations of the original-language texts, and therefore are for reference purposes only. As a result, you are kindly advised to refer to the original-language versions when you need to verify or inquire about the content. Furthermore, should there be any discrepancies between the original-language versions and the translations provided here, the original-language versions shall always take precedence.

• Countries / Regions

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• Treaties

COUNTRIES / REGIONS

Countries / Regions	Laws and Regulations
Argentina	Patent Law (PDF：209KB) Design Law(PDF：136KB) Trademarks Law(PDF：157KB)
Australia	Federal Register of Legislation (External link) Patents Act (Link to Federal Register of Legislation) (External link) Patents Regulations(Link to Federal Register of Legislation) (External link) Designs Act (Link to Federal Register of Legislation) (External link) Designs Regulations (Link to Federal Register of Legislation) (External link) Trade Marks Act (Link to Federal Register of Legislation) (External link) Trade Marks Regulations(Link to Federal Register of Legislation) (External link)
Austria	Patent Law (PDF:353KB) Utility Model Act (PDF:105KB) Design Law (PDF:87KB) Trademark Law (PDF:184KB) Industrial Property Regulations (PDF:78KB)
Azerbaijan	Law on Patent (PDF:121KB) Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications (PDF:105KB)
Bangladesh	Patents Act (PDF:212KB) Patents and Designs Rules Trademarks Act (PDF:329KB) Trademarks Rules (PDF:203KB)
Belarus	Law on Patents for Inventions, Utility Models, Industrial Designs (PDF:191KB) Regulations on Patent (PDF:435KB) Regulations on Utility model (PDF:278KB) Regulation on Industrial Design (PDF:239KB) Trademarks Law (PDF:164KB) Trademarks Regulation
Belgium	Patents Law (PDF:184KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:103KB)
Bhutan	The Industrial Property Act (PDF:82KB) Industrial Property Rules (PDF:118KB)
Brazil	Industrial Property Law (PDF:1,712KB) Patent Regulations(PDF:287KB) Examination Guidelines of Patent Application (PDF:397KB) Patent Application Guidelines Block II Patentability (PDF:574KB) Guidelines for Examining Patent Applications in the Field of Biotechnology (PDF:297KB) Guidelines for Examining Patent Applications involving Inventions Implemented by Computer Program (PDF:195KB) Guidelines for Examining Patent Applications related to the Chemical Area (PDF:468KB) Industrial Design Regulations Industrial Design Manual Directorate of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographic Indications(PDF:2,666KB) Trademark Regulations RESOLUTION INPI/PR NO. 187, procedure for the Submission of sequence Listing（PDF:210KB） Resolution INPI/PR No.245,The Shared Ownership System for Trademark（PDF:125KB） RESOLUTION INPI/PR NO.250, Payments for Services provided by INPI(PDF216KB)
Brunei	Patents Order (PDF:551KB) Patents Rules (PDF:399KB) Industrial Design Order (PDF:260KB) Industrial Design Rules (PDF:172KB) Trademarks Law (PDF:211KB) Trademarks Rules (PDF:257KB)
Bulgaria	Patent Law (PDF:422KB) Industrial Design Law (PDF:181KB) Industrial Design Regulations (PDF:152KB) Trademark Law (PDF:232KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:101KB)
Cambodia	Patents, Utility Model Certificates and Industrial Designs (PDF:233KB) Declaration on the Procedure for the Grant of Patents and Utility Model Certificates Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (PDF：171KB) Industrial Designs Regulation (PDF:132KB) Trademark Law (PDF:109KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF：139KB) Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications (PDF:48KB)
Canada	Patent Act (PDF:580KB) Patent Rules (PDF:594KB) Industrial Design Act (PDF:189KB) Industrial Designs Regulations (PDF:200KB) Trade-marks Act (PDF:615KB) Trade-mark Regulations (PDF:294KB)
Chile	Industrial Property Law (PDF:181KB) Industrial Property Regulations (PDF:132KB)
China	Trademark Regulations (External link) Patent Act (External link)
Colombia	MANUAL to Examine Form and Content of The InventionandUtility Model Patent Applications (PDF:1,693KB)
Czech Republic	WIPO Lex Database Search (External link) Patent Act (PDF:166KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:73KB) Act on the Protection of Biotechnological Inventions (PDF:39KB) Utility Model Act (PDF:52KB) Indudtrial Design Act(PDF:120KB) Trademark Act (Link to WIPO Lex) (External link) Trademark Regulations (PDF:70KB)
Denmark	Patents Act (PDF:168KB) Patents Regulations (PDF:160KB) Utility Models Act (PDF:132KB) Utility Models Regulations (PDF:142KB) Designs Act (PDF:113KB) Designs Regulations (PDF:97KB) Trade Marks Act (PDF:118KB) Trade Marks Regulations (PDF:107KB)
Ecuador	Organic Code Of The Social Economy Of Knowledge, Creativity And Innovation(PDF:587KB)
Egypt	Law on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (PDF:210KB) Intellectual Property Implementing Regulation (PDF:174KB)
Estonia	Patent Act (PDF:242KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:181KB) Utility Models Act (PDF:161KB) Industrial Design Act (PDF:154KB) Industrial Design Regulations (PDF:76KB) Trademark Act (PDF:176KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:224KB)
Ethiopia	A Proclamation Concerning Inventions, Minor Inventions and Industrial Designs (PDF:93KB) Industrial Property (PDF:132KB) TradeMark Registration and Protection Proclamation (PDF:153KB) COUNCIL OF MINISTERS REGULATION No. 273 /2012 ON TRADEMARK REGISTRATION AND PROTECTION (PDF:157KB)
Finland	Patents Act (PDF:169KB) Patents Decree (PDF:125KB) Utility Model Act (PDF:112KB) Utility Model Decree (PDF:86KB) Registered Designs Act (PDF:112KB) Registered Designs Decree (PDF:76KB) Trademarks Act (PDF:108KB) Trademarks Decree (PDF:104KB) Act on Collective Act (PDF:57KB)
France	Intellectual Property Code (PDF:660KB) Intellectual Property Regulations (PDF:904KB)
Germany	Patent Act (PDF:282KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:124KB) Utility Model Law (PDF:150KB) Utility Model Regulations (PDF:104KB) Design Law (PDF:286KB) Design Regulations (PDF:148KB) Trademark Act(PDF:451KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:225KB) Act on Employee Inventions (PDF:102KB)
Greece	Patent Law (PDF:135KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:37KB) Industrial Design Law (PDF:98KB) Trademark Law (PDF:151KB)
Hong Kong	Hong Kong e-Legislation (external Link) Patents Ordinance (Link to Hong Kong e-Legislation) (External link) Patents (General) Rules (Link to Hong Kong e-Legislation) (External link) Registered Designs Ordinance (Link to Hong Kong e-Legislation) (Externallink) Registered Designs Rules(Link to Hong Kong e-Legislation) (External link) Trade Marks Ordinance (Link to Hong Kong e-Legislation) (External link) Trade Marks Rules (Link to Hong Kong e-Legislation) (External link)
Hungary	Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (External link) Patents Act (Link to Hungarian Intellectual Property Office) (Erternal link) Patents Regulations (PDF:44KB) Utility Model Act (PDF:100KB) Utility Model Regulations(PDF:37KB) Industrial Design Act (PDF:136KB) Industrial Design Regulations (PDF:87KB) Trademark Act (PDF:289KB) Trademarks Regulations (PDF:29KB) Classes of Goods and Services (PDF:89KB)
India	Patents Act (PDF:437KB) Patents Rules (PDF:348KB) Designs Act (PDF:125KB) Designs Rules (PDF:278KB) Trade Marks Act (PDF:484KB) Trade Marks Rules (PDF:223KB)
Indonesia	Patent Law (PDF:161KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:90KB) Design Law (PDF:78KB) Regulation of Industrial Design (PDF:179KB) Trademark Law (PDF:104KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:57KB) Classes of Goods and Services (PDF:44KB) Geographical Indications（PDF:109KB）
Ireland	Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (External link) Patents Act (Link to Intellectual Property Office of Ireland) (External link) Patents Rules (Link to Intellectual Property Office of Ireland) (External link) Industrial Designs Act (PDF:210KB) Designs Rules (PDF:151KB) Trade Marks Act (Link to Intellectual Property Office of Ireland) (External link) Trade Marks Rules (Link to Intellectual Property Office of Ireland) (External link)
Israel	Patents Law (PDF:413KB) Patents Regulations (PDF:380KB) Industrial Design Provision (PDF:211KB) Design Regulations (Implementation of the Hague Agreement) (PDF:123KB) Designs Rules (PDF:245KB) Trademarks Ordinance (PDF:362KB) Trademarks Regulations (PDF:257KB)
Italy	Patent Law (PDF:119KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:81KB) Industrial Model Law (PDF:32KB) Industrial Model Regulations (PDF:83KB) Trademark Law (PDF:95KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:70KB)
Japan	Patent Act (External link) Utility Model Act (External link) Design Act (External link) Trademark Act (External link)
Kazakhstan	Patent Law (PDF:269KB) Law on Trademarks, Service Marks and Appellations of Origin (PDF:311KB)
Kenya	The Industrial Property Act (PDF:226KB) The Industrial Property Regulations (PDF:162KB) The Trade Marks Act (PDF:302KB) Trademark Rules (PDF:175KB)
Kyrgyzstan	Patent Law (PDF:130KB) Trade Marks Law (PDF:120KB)
Lao PDR	Intellectual Property Laws (PDF:314KB) Decision Patent and Petty Patent（PDF:244KB） Decision Industrial Design（PDF:220KB） Decision on Trademarks and Trade Names（PDF:1,409KB)
Latvia	Patent Law (PDF:175KB) Industrial Design Law (PDF:150KB) Trademark Law (PDF:189KB)
Liechtenstein	Industrial Designs Law (PDF:49KB) Industrial Designs Regulations (PDF:60KB) Trade Marks Law (PDF:102KB) Trade Marks Ordinance (PDF:88KB) Trade Marks Regulations (PDF:77KB)
Lithuania	Patent Law (PDF:141KB) Industrial Design Law (PDF:160KB) Trade Marks Law (PDF:168KB)
Luxembourg	Patent Law (PDF:239KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:176KB)
Malaysia	Patents Act (PDF:290KB) Patents Regulations (PDF:158KB) Guidelines for Patent Examination Manual (PDF：279KB) Industrial Designs Act (PDF:181KB) Industrial Designs Regulations (PDF:180KB) Trademark Act (PDF:700KB) Trademarks Regulations (PDF:897KB) Manual of Trademark Law & Practice (PDF:1,254KB)
Mexico	Federal Law For The Protection of Industrial Property (PDF:625KB) Industrial Property Regulations (PDF:311KB)
Mongolia	The Intellectual Property Law (PDF:131KB) Law on Patent (PDF:181KB) Law of Mongolia on Trade Marks and Geographical Indications (PDF:154KB)
Morocco	Industrial Property Law (PDF:365KB)
Nepal	The Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act (PDF:116KB)
Netherlands	Patent Act (PDF:253KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:59KB)
New Zealand	New Zealand Legislation (External link) Patents Acts (Link to New Zealand Legislation) (External link) (PDF:1667KB) Patent Regulations (Link to New Zealand Legislation) (External link) (PDF:580KB) Design Act (Link to New Zealand Legislation) (External link) Design Regulations (Link to New Zealand Legislation) (External link) (PDF:193KB) Trade Marks Act (Link to New Zealand Legislation) (External link) (PDF:1,089KB) Trademarks Regulations (Link to New Zealand Legislation) (External link) (PDF:569KB)
Nigeria	Patents and Designs Act (PDF:178KB) Patent Rules (PDF:100KB) Design Rules (PDF:113KB) Trade Marks Act (PDF:216KB) Trade Marks Regulations (PDF:233KB)
Norway	Patents Act (PDF:224KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:168KB) Designs Act (PDF:184KB) Designs Regulations (PDF:133KB) Trade Marks Act (PDF:122KB) Trade Marks Regulations (PDF:110KB)
Papua New Guinea	Patent Law (PDF:127KB) Patent Regulation (PDF:123KB) Trade Marks Act (PDF:148KB) Trademarks Regulations (PDF:86KB)
Peru	Industrial Property Law (PDF:248KB)
Philippines	Manual for Substantive Examination Procedure (PDF:711KB) Intellectual Property Code (PDF:435KB) Intellectual Property Regulations (External link) Trademarks Rules and Regulations (External link) Rules and Regulations on Inventions (PDF:218KB) Rules & Regulations on Voluntary Licensing (PDF:107KB) Rules & Regulations on Administrative Complaints (PDF:139KB) Rules on Dispute Settlement (PDF:82KB) Regulations on Inter Parts Proceedings (PDF:150KB)
Poland	Industrial Property Law (PDF:378KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:135KB) Industrial Design Regulations (PDF:131KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:107KB)
Portugal	Industrial Property Code (PDF:429KB)
Republic of Korea	Industrial Property Laws (Link to KIPO) (External link)
Republic of South Africa	Patents Act (PDF:144KB) Patents Examination Regulations (PDF:71KB) Patents Regulations (PDF:222KB) Designs Act (PDF:84KB) Designs Regulations (PDF:190KB) Trade Marks Act (PDF:221KB) Trade Marks Regulations (PDF:184KB)
Romania	Patent Law (PDF:137KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:277KB) Utility Models Law (PDF:71KB) Utility Models Regulations (PDF:101KB) Industrial Design Law (PDF:103KB) Industrial Design Regulations (PDF:138KB) Trademark Law (PDF:152KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:161KB)
Russia	Civil Code of the Russian Federation Part IV (PDF:843KB)
Saudi Arabia	Patents Law (PDF:208KB) Patents Regulations (PDF:274KB) Trade Marks Law (PDF:143KB) Trade Marks Rules (PDF:158KB)
Singapore	Patents Act (PDF:339KB) Patents Rules (PDF:447KB) Designs Act (PDF:221KB) Designs Rules (PDF:255KB) Registered Designs (Intellectual Registration) Rules (PDF:127KB) Trade Marks Act (PDF:342KB) Trade Marks Rules (PDF:346KB) Trade Marks International Registration Rules (PDF:1,192KB)
Slovakia	Patent Act (PDF:273KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:82KB) Utility Model Law (PDF:61KB) Design Act (PDF:137KB) Trademark Act (PDF:138KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:92KB)
Spain	Patent Law (PDF:512KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:383KB) Trademark Act (PDF:363KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:232KB)
Sri Lanka	Code of Intellectual Property Act (PDF:377KB) Intellectual Property Regulations (PDF:145KB)
Sudan	Patents Act (PDF:72KB) Patents Regulations (PDF:46KB) Design Law (PDF:90KB) Trade Marks Act (PDF:60KB) Trade Marks Rules (PDF:42KB)
Sweden	Patent Act (PDF:172KB) Patent Decree Design Act (PDF:117KB) Design Regulation (PDF:59KB) Trademarks Act（PDF:180KB） Trademarks Regulation (PDF:94KB)
Switzerland	Patent Law (PDF:348KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:329KB) Industrial Design Law (PDF:95KB) Industrial Design Regulations (PDF:152KB) Trademark Law (PDF:172KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:184KB)
Taiwan	Laws and Regulations (Link to TIPO) (External link)
Thailand	Patent Act (PDF:148KB) Patent Regulations (PDF:138KB) Trademark Act (PDF:146KB) Trademark Regulation(B.E. 2535)（PDF:203KB） Trademark Regulation Ministerial Regulation No. 5 (B.E. 2560（PDF:157KB） Manual of examination and opposition of Trademarks(PDF:1,041KB) Guidance on Considering action by Registrar of Trademark Office (PDF:1,366KB) THAILAND Trademark Regulation Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2560 Trademark Registration under the Madrid Protocol Come into force on November 7, 2017(PDF:192KB)
Tunisia	Law on Patents (PDF:207KB) Patents (Register) Decree（PDF:61KB） Patents (Fees) Decree（PDF:65KB） Law on the Protection of Industrial Designs (PDF:118KB) Designs (Register) Decree（PDF:63KB） Designs (Registers) Decree（PDF:64KB） Trademarks Law（PDF:106KB） Trade Marks (Register) Decree（PDF:67KB） Trade Marks (Fees) Decree（PDF:128KB）
Turkey	Industrial Property Code (PDF:876KB)
Ukraine	Patent Law (PDF:292KB) Patent Rules (PDF:214KB) Design Law (PDF:207KB) Design Rules (PDF:142KB) Trademark Law (PDF:228KB) Trademark Rules (PDF:158KB)
United Arab Emirates	Pertaining to the Industrial Regulation and Protection of Patents, Industrial Drawings, and Design (PDF:107KB) Patents, Design and Industrial Prototypes Regulations (PDF:418KB) Law Concerning Trademarks (PDF:76KB)
United Kingdom	Copyright Design and Patent Act (Link to Legislation.gov.uk) (External link) Patent Act (Link to Legislation.gov.uk) (External link) Patent Rules 2007 An unofficial consolidation 1 January2021(PDF:434KB) Registered Design Acts (Link to Legislation.gov.uk) (External link) Registered Design Rules (Link to Legislation.gov.uk) (External link) Trademarks Act (Link to Legislation.gov.uk) (External link) Trademark Rules (Link to Legislation.gov.uk) (External link)
United States of America	Patent Law (PDF:737KB) Patent Rules (PDF:6,161KB) Leahy-Smith Invent Act (PDF:73KB) Trademark Law (PDF:435KB) Trademark Regulations (PDF:617KB) Trademark Modernization Act of 2020(PDF:330KB) Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) /Link to USPTO (External link) Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP) /Link to USPTO (External link)
Uruguay	Invention Patents, Utility Models, and Industrial Designs (PDF:284KB) Trademarks (PDF:214KB)
Uzbekistan	PATENTS Law (PDF:176KB) Patent Rules (PDF:264KB) Trademarks Law (PDF:184KB)
Vietnam	Guidelines for Examination of Industrial Design Applicaions（PDF:1,749KB) Guidelines for Determining the Eligibility for Patent Protection of Claimed Subject Matter of Computer Program Related Inventions（PDF:913KB) Examination Regulation for Patent Applications（PDF:818KB)

TREATIES

Treaties	Laws and Regulations
African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI)	Bangui Agreement (PDF:648KB) Regulations under the Agreement Revising the Bangui Agreement (PDF:33KB)
African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)	Lusaka Agreement（PDF 194KB） Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs (PDF:170KB) Regulations for Implementing the Harare Protocol (PDF:237KB) Banjul Protocol on Marks (PDF:145KB) Regulations for Implementing the Banjul Protocol (PDF:168KB)
Andean Community	Decision 486 - Common Provisions on Industrial Property (PDF:385KB) Decision 632 - Clarification of the Second Paragraph of Article 266 of Decision 486 (PDF:65KB) Decision 689 - Common Provisions on Industrial Property (PDF:68KB)
Benelux	Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property (Trademarks and Designs) (PDF:152KB) Implementing Regulations under the Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property (Trademarks and Designs) (PDF:235KB)
Budapest Treaty	Budapest Treaty Regulations under the Budapest Treaty (PDF:102KB)
Convention Establishing the WIPO	Convention Establishing the WIPO
Eurasian Patent Office	Patent Convention (PDF:79KB) Patent Regulations under the Patent Convention (PDF:246KB) The Protection of Industrial Designs (PDF:176KB)
European Union / European Community	Regulation (EU) No 386/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (PDF:88KB) Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks (Link to EU) (External link) Council Regulation on the Community Trade Mark (PDF:356KB) Commission Regulation on the Community Trade Mark (PDF:336KB) COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (PDF:235KB) COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (PDF:148KB) Directive of the Parliament and of the Council on biotechnological inventions Directive of the Parliament and of the Council on legal protection of designs Council Regulation on the Community designs (PDF:183KB) Commission Regulation on the Community designs (PDF:185KB) Council Regulation on a supplementary protection certificate for medicinal products (PDF:83KB) Council Regulation on geographical indications and designations of origin (PDF:116KB) Regulation on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuff (PDF:168KB) The fees payable to the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (PDF:89KB) The fees payable to the Office in respect of the registration of Community designs (PDF:87KB)
European Patent Office	Patent Convention (Link to EPO) (External link) Convention on the grant of European Patents (PDF:292KB) Implementing Regulations to the Convention on the grant of European Patents (PDF:312KB) Rules Relating to Fees (PDF:113KB) Guidelines for Examination (Link to EPO) (External link)
Lisbon Agreement	Lisbon Agreement (PDF:215KB) Regulations under the Lisbon Agreement (PDF:297KB)
Madrid Agreement & Protocol	Madrid Agreement Regulations under the Madrid Agreement Madrid Protocol Common Regulations under the Madrid Agreement and the Protocol (Link to WIPO) (External link) Administrative Instructions (Link to WIPO) (External link)
Nairobi Treaty	Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol (PDF:34KB)
Nice Agreement	Nice Agreement (PDF:82KB)
Paris Convention	Paris Convention
Patent Cooperation Treaty	Patent Cooperation Treaty (Link to WIPO) (External link)
Strasbourg Agreement	Strasbourg Agreement
Trademark Law Treaty	Trademark Law Treaty (PDF:185KB) Regulations under the Trademark Law Treaty
TRIPS Agreement	TRIPS Agreement
UPOV Convention	International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (PDF:118KB)
Washington Treaty	Treaty on Intellectual Property in Respect of Integrated Circuits (PDF:71KB)

[Last updated 1 April 2024]

Contact

Research Statistics Section, International Cooperation Division, Japan Patent Office FAX:+81-3-3581-0762 E-mail:PA0842@jpo.go.jp