Japan Patent Office Opens Public Services Center in Osaka

The Japan Patent Office (JPO) will open the INPIT-KANSAI center of intellectual property public services on July 31. The new office is located in Osaka’s Grand Front Osaka Building and aims to support the business growth of firms in the Kansai region, including SMEs and startups. It is part of the Japanese government’s push to foster local economies.

The new center is operated by JPO, which has jurisdiction over the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (INPIT). It will support companies through multilateral functions mainly in four areas:

• • Providing sophisticated and specialized support in the field of intellectual property
  • Providing space for on-site or video interview examinations with JPO examiners
  • Providing industrial property right (IPR) gazette browsing services with sophisticated terminals with the same high-level capabilities as the machines that JPO examiners use for prior art searches on a daily basis
  • Providing opportunities to collaborate with related organizations.

Focus on patent examinations

The INPIT-KANSAI will offer on-site examinations, or video interview examinations with JPO examiners in Tokyo. It will set the first and third Fridays of the month as special days on which it focuses on on-site interview examinations.

With an eye on offering examination opportunities to as many appointment holders as possible, the center places a priority on proactively reserving meeting rooms for these examinations.

How to apply for patent examinations

If you wish to have an on-site or video interview examination with Japan Patent Office examiners in Tokyo, please contact the Regional Innovations Promotion Office, Administrative Affairs Division, JPO, and provide the information on 1. to 4. below to make an appointment. In response, the Japan Patent Office will contact you within three business days.

The JPO requests you to make an appointment at least two weeks before your desired date since the number of meetings rooms is limited (in case of urgency, please contact the Regional Innovations Promotion Office for consultation).

1. Patent application number concerning your wish to have an interview examination
2. Desired date and time of the examination (provision of several possible dates is appreciated if possible)
3. Desired type of examination, for example on-site or video interview with JPO examiners in Tokyo
4. Contact number by which the INPIT-KANSAI can reach you during daytime daytime, including your name and telephone number