IP NEWS:SOEI Patent & Law Firm

To become a patent attorney in Japan, we must pass the Patent Attorneys Examination which is held once a year. This year, 613 candidates passed the examination on November 6. The success rate was 6.7%. Unlike in European countries, there is no qualification for “trademark agent” in Japan. To practice trademarks in Japan, one needs to obtain a patent attorney qualification. Technical background is not required to become a patent attorney. Some patent attorneys specialize in patent matters, others in trademark matters.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the Japanese Patent Attorney Examination system. The examination consists of thee stages as follows:

First stage: Multiple-choice test
Subjects: Patent law, Utility model law, Design law, Trademark law, Copyright law and Unfair competition law
Success rate: approximately 30%

Second stage: Essay test
Subjects: Patent law, Utility model law, Design law, Trademark law and two other laws selected by the candidate.
Competition rate: approximately 25%
*This stage is the most challenging part in the examination.

Final stage: oral test
Subjects: Patent law, Utility model law, Design law and Trademark law
Competition rate: approximately 95%
*If the candidate does not pass this stage, he/she can start the examination from the final stage the following year. If he/she does not pass this stage for two years in a row, he/she must start again at the first stage.