0. Current Activities of Japan Patent Office on
Mutual Utilization of Patent Examination Results
Japan Patent Office

1. Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
Work-sharing at JPO
Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
Dossier Access System
-AIPN and OPD 1

2. The Scheme of Patent Prosecution Highway
PPH is a framework in which an application determined to be patentable in the Office of Earlier Examination is eligible to have an accelerated examination in the Office of Later Examination with a simple procedure upon an applicant’s request
OEE (Office of Earlier Examination)
The JPO proposed the patent prosecution highway (PPH) and put it into action with the United States in 2006 for the first time in the world. Since then, the JPO has been working toward expanding the PPH network and enhancing the usability of this framework.
Application A
Grant
Claims correspondence
Work Sharing
OLE (Office of Later Examination)
OLE examination burden can be lighten
OEE Examination History
Office Merit
Corresponding
Application A’
PPH
Request
Accelerated
Examination
Applicant Merit

3. Reduced pendency at the office of second filing (OSF)
Merits of PPH: High Speed, Cost Saving, High Quality
High Speed:
Reduced pendency at the office of second filing (OSF)
Expeditious examination
Cost Saving:
Reduction in Number of Office Actions
High Quality:
High grant rate at the OSF  High predictability of
examination results at the OSF 3

4. Expansion of PPH network
32 offices participate in the PPH.
As of January 6, 2014
(Japan implements the PPH with 28 offices.)
The accumulated total number of requests for PPH filed worldwide is about 50,000.
As of December 2013 4

5. Global PPH Global PPH Before launching Global PPH
The launch of a “Global PPH” pilot program within the framework of multiple countries: this program was created by making use of common factors found in the PPH. It commenced on January 6, 2014.
Previously, different types of PPH systems were used between two offices, depending on their bilateral agreements. The types include the regular type PPH, the PPH MOTTAINAI, and the PCT-PPH.
Having various types of systems made it rather difficult for applicants to understand how to use them. Besides, the systems were not user friendly. On the other hand, this Global PPH pilot program enables participating offices to effectively use all types of PPH systems, enhancing user-friendliness.
Seventeen countries/regions are participating in this pilot program. (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Nordic Patent Institute, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, UK, and USA)
Global PPH
(From January 6, 2014)
Before launching Global PPH
Types of PPHs available for all participating offices: Regular PPH,
PPH MOTTAINAI, and　　
PCT-PPH

6. What is the AIPN? AIPN: Advanced Industrial Property Network
Advanced Industrial Property Network　（AIPN)
Provision of Japan’application and information
Dispatch of Japan’s examination results to foreign IPOs in Spanish
(1) Mitigation of examination workload in foreign IPOs
(2) An aid for applicants’ smooth obtainment of IP rights
AIPN: Advanced Industrial Property Network
Provision of domestic examination results via the Internet
JPO
Japanese to Spanish
Machine Translation
Filing patent within Japan
Applicant

7. Registered IPOs
The AIPN started on 12 October 2004, now it is used more than 60 IPOs all over the world.
Austria
Croatia
Czech
Denmark
EAPO
EPO
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland UK
Ukraine
Dossier Information
Dossier Information
ARIPO
Burundi
Egypt
Ethiopia
Gambia
Israel
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kirghiz
Mali
Morocco
Mozambique
Nigeria
OAPI
Rwanda
Turkey
Uganda
Zambia
Australia
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Cambodia
China
Chinese-Taipei
India
Indonesia
Malaysia
Pakistan
Philippines
Republic of Korea
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Vietnam
AIPN
Japan Patent Office
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Mexico US
Dossier Information
- As of January

8. Search from Document No.
Search from JP No.
Application No.
Priority No.
Publication No.
Patent No.
Search from No. of
Foreign Document
Application No.
Priority No.

9. Result – Document List

10. Introduction of New Function
Google Translate
Screen for File Wrapper information
①Google Translate
pulldown list for language selection
② Select language for translation target

11. Example for Display Screen of Translation Result
Selecting Spanish
Select Spanish
A translation result appears in Spanish

12. One Portal Dossier OPD( One Portal Dossier)
（Mutual Reference to Exam Results）
PAIR
(Internet-based
Service for the Public)
J-Eng MT functions
K-PION
(Internet-based Service
for IPOs)
USPTO
European Patent
Register
(Internet-based
Service for the Public)
EPO
KIPO
AIPN
（Advanced IP network）
(Internet-based Service for IPOs)
CPIS
(Internet-based
Service for the Public)
JPO
SIPO
IP5 Offices
(1) Reduce workload in examination at IPOs
(2) Obtain IP rights overseas quickly and properly
Enable to mutually refer to results of search and examination in real time among IP5 Offices ↓
Sharing results enables to reduce workload and to quicken examination
OPD( One Portal Dossier)

13. OPD at the JPO EPO Dossier Info. USPTO Dossier Info.
Link to Patent Family information
Link to Classification & Citation information
Link to document reference screen for JP applications
Patent Family information at the JPO
- Application numbers - Publication numbers - Registration numbers - Filing dates
EPO Dossier Info.
USPTO Dossier Info.
KIPO Dossier Info.
SIPO Dossier Info.
- Document List - Document Content

14. Global Dossier Initiative (GDI)
Aiming at “ one stop service” for patent application / examination.
Image of possible services in GD
Examiners
Dossier information
Dossier information
Application
filing
Dossier information
Applicants
Dossier information
Dossier information
Examination results accumulated
Public users
[※ Dossier information： patent application / examination results information]
IP5 Offices and WIPO are cooperating toward realization of GD. 14 14

15. ¡Gracias! 15 15