20 years, and the validity period of patents for pharmaceutical inventions and pesticide inventions can be extended to 25 years upon application.
Filing Language: Japanese Necessary documents:
- Exterior Design Picture (Six Views)
- A Brief Description
Attachments (if any):
- Scanned Copy of Certified Priority Document / DAS
- Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of priority
- Assignment for Patent Right Transfer
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.
Inventors have a novelty grace period of 12 months after disclosure (including sale).
- Grant fee: The applicant should pay the granted fee and the annual fee for the first year within 30 days after receiving the granted notice.
- Annuity: The annual fee shall be paid year by year from the second year from the date of granted, and the payment of the annual fee may be postponed within 6 months if the annual fee is overdue, but a 200% penalty shall be paid at the same time.
- Grant fee: The applicant needs to pay the granted fee within 30 days after receiving the granted notice, which is the annual fee for the first to third years.
- Annuity: From the 4th year from the date of granted, the annual fee will be paid year by year, and the payment can be postponed within 6 months after the overdue period, but at the same time, 200% of the annual fee of the current year must be paid as a penalty. The amount of the annual fee depends on the number of Claim, and the annual fee can be paid for several years in one lump sum.
yes
- 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.
yes
The JPO conducts formality examination only for utility model patent applications.
Reinstatement of priority on grounds of "due care" accepted.