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Patents |
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Summary |
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Acceptance of Foreign-Language Patent Applications in Japan |
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Foreign-language patent applications have been accepted by the Japan Patent Office (JPO) with effect from July 1995. It should be noted, however, that foreign-language applications are limited solely to English for the present and that no similar arrangement is currently available for utility model applications. |
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A patent application including an English language specification which contains one or more claims and is accompanied by a petition for patent prepared in Japanese will be accepted by the JPO, provided that a Japanese translation of the specification filed in English follows within one year and two months from the priority date of the patent application including the English specification. |
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Advantage of Filing English-language Application |
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Filing of an English-language application is advantageous in terms of making corrections to incorrect translation and avoiding a fatal loss of patent right. |
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In principle, amendments to the description, claims and drawings need to be made within the scope of matters described in the Japanese-language description, claims, and drawings as originally filed. |
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If the application is filed in English, amendments can be made within the scope of matters contained in the English version of specification. This is possible by submitting a statement of correction of an incorrect translation. |
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