Launch of External Provision of English Translations of Trial/Appeal Decisions

From January 12, 2016, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) is to provide professional English translations of trial/appeal decisions, decisions on oppositions, and Hantei (advisory opinions on the scope of industrial property rights) through the JPO’s website (in Japanese and English), for the purpose of improving and enhancing the international reach and quality of information provided on industrial property rights applicable in Japan.

1. Background

As the number of annual international patent applications has been increasing globally, including those under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), patent offices around the world have been making efforts to provide the largest number of users with information on applications and examinations. The JPO is a world leader in providing information internationally, and began providing English translations of application information approximately 40 years ago. Aiming for the further improvement and enhancement of international information provision, the JPO is to start providing professional English translations of trial/appeal decisions, decisions on oppositions, and Hantei on January 12, 2016. Given that Japan’s examinations and trials/appeals concerning industrial property rights have a global reputation for high quality and promptness, the information on trial/appeal decisions is extremely valuable, not only for appellants of appeals from overseas, which account for 40% of all cases, but also for the public in the U.S., in Europe, and in Asian countries.

2. Provision of English translations

The JPO today has begun providing information on trial/appeal decisions categorized by type, field, or other attributes of a case that help in the understanding of the law and its operation through the JPO’s website (in Japanese and English ). The JPO will have provided approximately 80 translations of appeal/trial decisions by the end of FY 2015. From FY 2016, the plan is to provide approximately 100 translations of appeal/trial decisions per year.^*

* The total annual number of appeal/trial decisions, etc. was approximately 13,000 (in FY 2014).

[Last updated 22 February 2017]

Contact

Inquiry : Trial and Appeal Division, Japan Patent Office

E-mail: PA6B00@jpo.go.jp

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