The Japan Patent Office Annual Report 2009
The Japan Patent Office published the English version of its annual report on the current status of industrial property rights. This English version is a translation of extracts from the Japanese version which was published first. The English version of the annual report consists of five parts:
Part 1 Trends of Industrial Property Rights
Part 2 Government Efforts in Intellectual Property Activities
Part 3 Measures for Private Companies and Universities
Part 4 International Trends and Efforts
Part 5 Statistical Data
Part 1 concerns the changes in the number of applications and the registrations and the current status in fields of patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks. It also discusses the changes in the number of requests for various trials and the current status in trial periods and trial decisions.
Part 2 concerns various efforts related to patent, utility models, designs and trademarks. As to Patents, it discusses efforts to reduce the time required to examine patent applications and international cooperation (for example, Patent Prosecution Highway program), etc. As to Design, it discusses accelerated examination as a measure against counterfeit goods, amendments to Examination Guidelines, etc. As to trademarks, it discusses efforts related to regionally-based collective trademarks, etc.
Part 3 concerns various support measures and Part 4 concerns international trends and efforts related to intellectual property. Part 5 provides not only various statistical data but also flow charts of examination proceedings.
For details, please visit the link below:
http://www.jpo.go.jp/shiryou_e/toushin_e/kenkyukai_e/annual_report2009.htm