Examination Guidelines for Patent and Utility Model in Japan

• Followings are the English texts of the Examination Guidelines for Patent and Utility Model in Japan. When any ambiguity of interpretation is found in this provisional translation, the Japanese text shall prevail.
• The following Examination Guidelines will be effective on and after October 1, 2015.（Revision History）
• The previous Examination Guidelines remain effective on examination conducted on and before September 30, 2015.
• Applicable periods and applications of these Guidelines
• Handling Procedures for Examinations involving Product-by-process Claims
• Please visit this page for the text in Examination Guidelines for Patent and Utility Model in Japan applied to examination on the applications for registration of patent term extension of the patent applications filed on or before March 9, 2020.
• Examination Guidelines for Patent and Utility Model in Japan (download all) (PDF:7,290KB)

Contents

Part I Outline of Examination

• Table of Contents (PDF:41KB)
• Chapter 1 Principles of Examination and Flow of Examination (PDF:139KB)
• Chapter 2 Procedures of Examination (PDF:29KB)
  • Section 1 Specifying Claimed Invention (PDF:25KB)
  • Section 2 Prior Art Search and Determination of Novelty, Inventive Step, etc. (PDF:165KB)
  • Section 3 Notice of Reasons for Refusal (PDF:158KB)
  • Section 4 Handling of Written Opinion, Written Amendment, etc. (PDF:21KB)
  • Section 5 Decision (PDF:20KB)
  • Section 6 Decision of Dismissal of Amendment (PDF:101KB)
  • Section 7 Reconsideration by Examiners before Appeal Proceedings (PDF:55KB)
  • Section 8 Communication with Applicant and Request for Documents etc. Required for the Examination (PDF:110KB)
• Figures 1-3 (PDF:160KB)
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:25KB)

Part II Description and Claims

• Table of Contents (PDF:131KB)
• Chapter 1 Requirements for Description
  • Section 1 Enablement Requirement (Patent Act Article 36(4)(i)) (PDF:78KB)
  • Section 2 Ministerial Ordinance Requirement (Patent Act Article 36(4)(i)) (PDF:27KB)
  • Section 3 Requirements for Disclosure of Information on Prior Art Documents (Patent Act Article 36(4)(ii)) (PDF:60KB)
• Chapter 2 Requirements for Claims
  • Section 1 Patent Act Article 36(5) (PDF:14KB)
  • Section 2 Support Requirement (Patent Act Article 36(6)(i)) (PDF:226KB)
  • Section 3 Clarity Requirement (Patent Act Article 36(6)(ii)) (PDF:83KB)
  • Section 4 Conciseness Requirement (Patent Act Article 36(6)(iii)) (PDF:23KB)
  • Section 5 Ministerial Ordinance Requirement on Statement of Claims (Patent Act Article 36(6)(iv)) (PDF:136KB)
• Chapter 3 Unity of Invention (Patent Act Article 37) (PDF:268KB)
• (Reference) Requirements for Unity of Application (PDF:1,051KB) * Applied to the application on or before December 31, 2003
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:76KB)

Part III Patentability

• Table of Contents (PDF:242KB)
• Chapter 1 Eligibility for Patent and Industrial Applicability (Main Paragraph of Article 29(1) of Patent Act) (PDF:197KB)
• Chapter 2 Novelty and Inventive Step (Patent Act Article 29(1) and (2))
  • Section 1 Novelty (PDF:34KB)
  • Section 2 Inventive Step (PDF:141KB)
  • Section 3 Procedure of Determining Novelty and Inventive Step (PDF:202KB)
  • Section 4 Claims Including Specific Expressions (PDF:216KB)
  • Section 5 Exceptions to Lack of Novelty of Invention (Patent Act Article 30) (PDF:203KB)
• Chapter 3 Secret Prior Art (Patent Act Article 29bis) (PDF:131KB)
• Chapter 4 Prior Application (Patent Act Article 39) (PDF:239KB)
• Chapter 5 Category of Unpatentable Invention (Patent Act Article 32) (PDF:21KB)
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:155KB)

Part IV Amendments of Description, Claims or Drawings

• Table of Contents (PDF:26KB)
• Chapter 1 Requirements for Amendments (Patent Act Article 17bis) (PDF:165KB)
• Chapter 2 Amendment Adding New Matter (Patent Act Article 17bis(3)) (PDF:215KB)
• Chapter 3 Amendment Changing Special Technical Feature of Invention (Patent Act Article 17bis(4)) (PDF:270KB)
• Chapter 4 Amendment for other than the Prescribed Purposes (Patent Act Article 17bis(5)) (PDF:209KB)
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:17KB)

Part V Priority

• Table of Contents (PDF:40KB)
• Chapter 1 Priority under the Paris Convention (PDF:101KB)
• Chapter 2 Internal Priority (PDF:51KB)
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:94KB)

Part VI Special Application

• Table of Contents (PDF:44KB)
• Chapter 1 Division of Patent Application (Patent Act Article 44)
  • Section 1 Requirements for Division of Patent Application (PDF:50KB)
  • Section 2 Notice under Article 50bis (PDF:238KB)
• Chapter 2 Conversion of Application (Patent Act Article 46) (PDF:38KB)
• Chapter 3 Patent Application Based on Utility Model Registration (Patent Act Article 46bis) (PDF:113KB)
• Chapter 4 Reference filing (Patent Act Article 38ter)(PDF:42KB)
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:118KB)

Part VII Foreign Language Written Application

• Table of Contents (PDF:26KB)
• Chapter 1 Overview of Foreign Language Written Application System (PDF:147KB)
• Chapter 2 Examination of Foreign Language Written Application (PDF:1,631KB)
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:126KB)

Part VIII International Patent Application

• Table of Contents (PDF:20KB)
• International Patent Application (PDF:217KB)
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:151KB)

Part IX Extension of Patent Term

• Table of Contents (PDF:23KB)
• Chapter 1 Extension of a Patent Term as Compensation for the Curtailment of the Term (Patent Act Article 67(2)) (PDF:152KB)
• Chapter 2 Extension of Patent Term for Pharmaceutical Inventions (Patent Act Article 67(4)) (PDF:124KB)
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:59KB)

Part X Utility Model

• Table of Contents (PDF:27KB)
• Chapter 1 Basic Requirements for Utility Model Registration (PDF:96KB)
• Chapter 2 Utility Model Technical Opinion (PDF:45KB)
• Relevant Provisions (PDF:29KB)

[Last updated 3 April 2023]

Contact Us

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