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Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities in

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2017 submitted by the Japan Patent Office (JPO)

I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PATENT INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of patent information activities and expected time frames for their realization

The outline of main policies and plans of patent information activities have officially been announced in the following report.

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III. SOURCES OF PATENT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE

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Main types of publications of the Office (patent applications, full text, first pages, abstracts, bibliographic data, granted patents, etc.), medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URLs)

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The Patent and Utility Model Gazettes contains mixed-mode type data, composed of text data and image data, thus text search using text data is also available.
Further, Published Unexamined Patent Applications enable a search using document numbers, IPC, etc.

Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URL), etc.

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b) External databases
Nature.com, JDream III, STN, Science Direct, IEEE Xplore, Derwent Innovation, ACM DL, Internet Phama Business, INTERGLAD, Science, ProQuest, Scopus, NIKKEI Telecom, Scitation, I-Chu-Shi WEB, APS Journals, SpringerLink, JJAP, Colour Index, Chemical Documents Library, CiNii, ACS Publications, GeneCards, Medical On-line, Wiley On-line Library, Annual Reviews, Oxford Journals, Journal of Technical Disclosure WEB, OSA Publishing, Merck Index, J-STAGE, RSC Publishing, Electrochemical Society (ECS Digital Library), AACR Publications, SPIE Digital Library, Mintel GNPD, Japio-GPG/FX

Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)

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In 2017, the ratios of on-line electronic filing was 98.5% for patent and utility model, 99.4% for appeals, 99.9% for the national procedures of a PCT internal application, and 99.1% for PCT international application.

Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office

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c) DNA Search System
This is a system introduced in January 1998 for searching gene-related information, and enables a homology search, which searches for a sequence utilizing homology in respect of nucleotide sequences and amino acid sequences, and a keyword search, which utilizes bibliographic data.

Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file

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c) Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file
The text data and the image data of the EPO, USPTO, WIPO, SIPO and KIPO, as well as the image data of major European countries are stored, and searches of CPC, IPC, etc. are available.

Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)

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a-3) Preservation methods of materials
The books are labeled and stored with a storage number and classification data, and the bibliographic information is inputted in the library system constructing a database for the books.

Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.

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See 3. (4)for information products available to external users.

Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)

a) Japanese Abstracts of European and U.S. patent data
The INPIT creates Japanese Abstracts of European and U.S. patent data (See 3. (4) b-3)) and makes the data available for search and display by the J-PlatPat.
b) Chinese and Korean Gazette Translation and Search System
See 3.(4)a-3)
c) FOPISER
See 3. (4)a-4).

Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.

Patent information is as important as journal information for researches conducted at universities, etc. In addition, patent information has a characteristic as public goods, since it is widely disclosed and contributes to the development of science and technology. The JPO has provided the IPDL Official Gazette Fixed-address Service since 2007 which allows users such as universities to directly access data contained in Gazettes on the IPDL with the aim of supporting R&D by universities.
This service is also made available at the J-PlatPat that has been provided since March 2015.
In response to a growing need for machine translation of foreign patent documents, the JPO and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) cooperate with each other to improve the accuracy and promote utilization of machine translation of Chinese, Korean, English etc.

Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.

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- Patent Search Practice Training
This seminar aims to develop human resources who can determine patentability based on the Examination Guidelines for Patents, which is required before a patent application is filed and after a patent has been acquired and a right is utilized, and accurately conduct patent searches in an efficient manner (once a year).

Other activities

Nothing in particular

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c) Sending Official Gazette on DVD-ROM to overseas
In 2015, the JPO exchanged official gazettes, etc. with 56 organizations (including international organizations) in 53 nations, out of which the JPO sent DVD-ROM “Japanese Patent and Registered Utility Model Specifications” to 28 organizations. The JPO also sent DVD-ROM “Published unexamined Patent applications” to 26 organizations.
The JPO discontinued sending official gazettes on DVD-ROM overseas in March 2015 and is currently providing the data on line.

Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information

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External publication of the authority file was approved at the Heads Meeting of IP5 Offices held in the Republic of Korea on June, 6, 2014. Currently, the IP5 Offices are periodically updating and providing authority files.

Assistance to developing countries

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Projects about data capture were conducted at IP offices in Nigeria, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland. Also, in the Organisation Africaine de la Propriete Intellectuelle (OAPI) and the African Regional Intellectual Property organization (ARIPO), Kenya, Egypt, Botswana, Malawi and Mozambique, projects that digitize domestic and foreign filings to make it possible to manage them were conducted. To Ethiopia Intellectual Property Office, the support for e-filing of trademark and issuance of electronic gazette was provided. Furthermore, in Botswana, a workshop for discussing management method using the IPAS was held.

Other activities

Nothing in particular

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1 - The term “patent” covers utility models and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs).
   - Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in their Annual Technical Reports on Industrial Design Information Activities.
2 Classification is allotting one or more classification symbols (e.g., IPC symbols) to a patent application.
3 Pre-classification is allotting an initial broad classification symbol (e.g., IPC class or subclass, or administrative unit) to a patent application, using human or automated means for internal administrative purposes.
4 Reclassification is the reconsideration and usually the replacement of one or more previously allotted classification symbols to a patent document, following a revision and the entry into force of a new version of the Classification system (e.g., the IPC). The new symbols are available on patent databases.

 

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1.Classification is allotting one or more classification symbols (e.g., IPC symbols) to a patent application, either before or during search and examination, which symbols are then published with the patent application.

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