The 4th JPO-DPIIT Review Meeting Held

1．Major cooperative initiatives agreed at the Fourth JPO-DPIIT Review Meeting

At the Meeting, Japan and India confirmed the importance of establishing the best possible IP systems in the two countries to promote innovations. And, they reviewed the ongoing progress of the Action Plan signed at the Third JPO-DPIIT Review Meeting (*1). They also agreed to implement the following initiatives, in order to further develop the cooperative relationship between the two countries in the field of IP:

• Holding of the Experts Meeting on the Japan-India Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot Program
• Holding of the Experts Meeting on patent examination practices
• Holding of the IT Experts Meeting to share information and experiences on the development of IT infrastructure
• Holding of the JPO-DPIIT Review Meeting
• Commencement of acting mutually as competent International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA/IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for applicants from both countries (scheduled to start on July 1,2021)

In addition, the two countries reviewed the results of the PPH Pilot Program. During the first year from the start of our PPH initiative, the CGPDTM has accepted 100 requests made to use the PPH by Japanese applicants, which is the maximum number of requests per year, and examinations have started for about 80% of the requests. Meanwhile, the JPO has accepted six requests made to use the PPH by Indian applicants.

Lastly, the JPO and the DPIIT adopted a Joint Statement for the Fourth JPO-DPIIT Review Meeting, which includes the confirmed initiatives stated above and other cooperation items agreed at the Meeting.

2．Background

The JPO signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in the Field of Industrial Property in June 2015 with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the predecessor to the DPIIT. Since then, the JPO has been cooperating with the DPIIT to establish a framework in which Japanese applicants can acquire IP rights in India promptly and smoothly. Also, based on the MOC, from 2017, Japan and India have held the JPO-DPIIT Review Meeting every year for the purpose of maintaining and strengthening the cooperative relationship in the field of IP.

As a successful achievement of this close cooperative relationship between Japan and India, in December 2019, the JPO became the first IP office in the world to start the PPH Pilot Program with India. Additionally, the effects of our PPH initiative have been also reviewed.

*Notes:

Related document

• Joint Statement of the Fourth JPO-DPIIT Review Meeting (PDF:143KB)

Division in Charge

International Cooperation Division, Policy Planning and Coordination Department, Japan Patent Office