JAPAN
May 04, 2017
The Japan Patent Office agreed to start a Patent Prosecution Highway program with the National Institute of Industrial Property of Brazil (INPI) on April 1, 2017, and with the Chilean Patent and Trademark Office (INAPI) on August 1, 2017.
The agreement with the INPI implies that both sides will accept petitions for two years or until reaching 200 applications filed with each office.
The JPO will accept application in any technical field; the INPI will accept them in IT and machinery, mainly for automotive-related technologies. On March 14, 2017, the JPO and the INAPI held a commissioners meeting in Santiago and agreed to start the PPH pilot program on August 1, 2017.
Moreover, the JPO and the Patent Office of Argentina should start a PPH pilot program on April 1, 2017.
As a result of the start of these programs with Brazil, Argentina and Chile, the number of JPO's partner IP offices overseas under the PPH program comes to 38.
The JPO will release details of the PPH program between Japan and Brazil, Argentina and Chile on its website upon the start of the respective PPH programs.