Which is the competent authority for Japanese invention patent applications?

Inventors have a novelty grace period of 12 months after disclosure (including sale).

• Grant fee: The applicant shall pay the granted fee within 30 days after receiving the granted notice.
• Annuity: The annual fee for the first to third years must be paid together with the application fee when the patent application is filed, and the annual fee will be paid year by year from the fourth year, and the payment period corresponds to the granted date. 200% of the year's annual fee paid within the month is a late fee.

• Inventions under the via Paris Convention : 12 months from the earliest priority date.
• via Nationalization of PCT inventions: 30 months from the earliest priority date.

The JPO conducts formality examination and substantive examination of the design patent application, and the substantive examination starts automatically, and the applicant does not need to submit a separate substantive examination request. JPO mainly examines the novelty and inventiveness of designs.

• (*Secret design: applicants can request that their design remain secret for 3 years from the filing date).

• via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
• via Nationalization of PCT : 30 months from the earliest priority date.

20 years, and the validity period of patents for pharmaceutical inventions and pesticide inventions can be extended to 25 years upon application.

The JPO conducts formality examination and substantive examination of invention patent applications. The applicant should submit a request for substantive examination within 3 years from the filing date. The JPO makes an granted decision if it determines after review that no grounds for refusal have been found.

yes

yes