Explanation of Japanese Industrial Design Authorization and Annual Fee

• via Paris Convention : 6 months from earliest priority date.
• Hague Agreement route: 6 months from earliest priority date.

3-6 months

• 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.

Japan Patent Office

English: Japan Patent Office, abbreviation: JPO

Website: Japan Patent Office (jpo.go.jp)

Japanese Utility Model Patent Search: Japan Platform for Patent Information｜J-PlatPat [JPP] (inpit.go.jp)

Reinstatement of priority is accepted on grounds of "due care."

• 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).

10 years

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