The Position of Patent Attorney in Japan
In Japan, the Patent Attorneys Examination consists of three stages: a multiple-choice test, an essay test, and an oral test. As the success rate of the final stage is 90%, the second stage is considered to be the most challenging part.
The results for the second stage were recently announced. Approximately 1000 candidates have passed the test. Out of these candidates, 900 will probably pass the final test. Ten years ago, only 100 candidates were able to pass the final test. However, the increasing emphasis on intellectual property led to requests for more successful candidates. As a result, the number of patent attorneys has doubled in the last ten years, to approximately 8000.
In Japan, having a title of patent attorney meant high earnings. However, as the number of patent attorneys increased, the competition has intensified. In a tough competition, only truly strong firms can survive.
We, SOEI, have many experienced attorneys and consider the competitive times to be an opportunity, not a disadvantage. We will further strive to provide the best professional services.