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Petition Process for the US-JP Collaborative Search Pilot Program Has Been Simplified

Japanese

November 11, 2022

External Economic Policy
On November 8, at a bilateral meeting between Mr. HAMANO Koichi, the Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (JPO), and Ms. Kathi Vidal, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the two parties agreed to implement a single petition form in order to simplify the petition process for the US-JP Collaborative Search Pilot Program (hereinafter referred to as the "US-JP CSP"). With the implementation of the single petition form, an applicant can participate in the US-JP CSP by sending a petition to only one office.

1. Background

The US-JP CSP is a joint effort in which the examiners in both Japan and the United States examine patent applications filed with both Offices respectively to share search results along with their opinions and provide their initial examination results earlier to the applicant during the same time period.
The applicant enjoys benefits of the US-JP Collaborative Search Pilot Program: improving the predictability of the information on the timing of examinations and acquisitions, increasing the possibility of receiving the same initial examination results (FAs) from both Offices, and decreasing the burden of responding to FAs provided by both Offices. However, under the US-JP CSP, the applicant is required to submit a petition form to one Office and submit the petition to the other within 15 days. Users of CSP have asked both Offices to simplify the petition procedure.

2. The simplification of the petition procedure for the US-JP CSP

At the bilateral meeting between the two Offices held on November 8, the two parties agreed to implement a single petition form. As a result, the applicant can participate in the US-JP CSP by submitting the single petition form to only one Office. For more information about the single petition form or the US-JP Collaborative Search Pilot Program, please visit the JPO website below.
Please consider using this program when acquiring rights in Japan and the United States.

 (Left) Ms. Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, 
(Right) Mr. Hamano Koichi, Commissioner of the JPO
 

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Division in Charge

Examination Policy Planning Office, Administrative Affairs Division, Patent and Design Examination Department (Physics, Optics, Social Infrastructure and Design), Japan Patent Office