Revision of Examination Guidelines for Patent and Utility Model in Japan

3 April 2023
Examination Standards Office,
Administrative Affairs Division,
Japan Patent Office

Since the Partial Revision of the Patent Act and Other Acts（Act No. 42 on May 21, 2021）has come into force (the Act's effective date : April 1, 2023), "requirements for reinstatement of rights, such as patent rights, which are lost due to the failure to comply with prescribed time limits" have been relaxed from "having legitimate grounds" to "not being intentional". Due to this enforcement, minor revisions have been made in the Examination Guidelines for Patent and Utility Model (hereinafter, the "Examination Guidelines").

The revised Examination Guidelines has been effective on and after April 1.

Revised Examination Guidelines

• Part V Relevant Provisions (PDF:94KB)
• Part Ⅶ Relevant Provisions (PDF:126KB)
• Part Ⅷ Relevant Provisions (PDF:151KB)

Overview of Revision of Examination Guidelines

• Due to the enforcement of Patent Act revised in 2021, minor revisions have been made in the Examination Guidelines regarding citation of revised relevant provisions.

[Last updated 3 April 2023]

Contact Us

Examination Standards Office, Administrative Affairs Division, Japan Patent Office E-mail:PA2A10@jpo.go.jp