SCIT.ATR.PI.2002.JP

Annual Technical Report 2002 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Japan (SCIT/ATR/PI/2002/JP)

Where URLs are requested below, it is preferred that either URLs which are likely to remain stable over time (three years or more) are provided, or home (main) page URLs are provided with a short explanation of how to access the corresponding information.

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.

I. Evolution of patent activities

Changes experienced in terms of application filings and grants with respect to the previous year

1) Patent
The number of applications in 2002 was 421,044. The number of registrations was 120,018.
2) Utility model
The number of applications in 2002 was 8,603. The number of registrations was 7,793.

Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year

The number of patent applications in the following technical fields increased remarkably in 2002 over the equivalent numbers in the previous year *.
"F03 Machines or engines for liquids" (up 36% over the number in the previous year)
"C25 electrolytic or electrophoretic processes" (up 16% over the number in the previous year)
"C01 inorganic chemistry" (up 15% over the number in the previous year)
* IPC classes with 500 or more applications in 2002 were examined.

II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, distribution and use of primary and secondary sources of patent information

Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of patent information

The Japan Patent Office (referred to as the "JPO" hereafter) published the following patent documents in 2002:
Publication of unexamined patent applications 374,700 issues
Publication of unexamined utility model applications 27 issues
Published Japanese translations of PCT international publication for patent applications 44,759 issues
Registered utility model gazette 8,100 issues
Patent Gazette 117,800 issues
Utility Model Gazette 100 issues
Published appeal and trial decisions 12,658 issues
The list of request for examination 183,000 issues
The list of request for technical evaluation 1,050 issues
Registration list 425 issues
Final decision list 285,270 issues

(New) techniques used for the generation of patent information (printing, recording, photocomposing, etc.)

In December 1990, the JPO began accepting patent applications and utility model applications, filed via flexible disk or on-line (electric application). (The flexible disk application was abolished in 1999.) The JPO electronically edits the collected data acquired from the electronic applications, or the applications by electronic means, and creates a gazette on CD-ROM.
The gazette on CD-ROM contains mixed-mode type data, composed of text data and image data, thus text searches using the text data part is available.

a) Publication of Unexamined Applications on CD-ROM
The JPO has been publishing Publication of Unexamined Applications on CD-ROM since January 1993. This is a single-volume CD-ROM, containing publication of unexamined patent applications and publication of unexamined utility model applications. A registered utility model gazette, first published in July 1994, has also been contained in the Publication of Unexamined Applications on CD-ROM. Further, since January 1996, the Publication of Unexamined Applications on CD-ROM has also contained the published Japanese translations of PCT international publication for patent applications, the published Japanese translations of PCT international publication for utility model applications (This was abolished in January 2000), domestic re-publication of PCT international publication for patent application, and domestic re-publication of PCT international publication for utility model applications (This was abolished in January 2000).
With respect to patent applications containing large volume data such as large sequence listings, the JPO published a separate volume of CD-ROM containing the large volume data as Huge Data of Publication of Unexamined Applications on CD-ROM in October 2001.
A single-volume Publication of Unexamined Applications on CD-ROM contained a total of 3,800 issues of the gazettes and was published 122 times in 2002.
The Publication of Unexamined Applications on CD-ROM enables a search by using 15 items, including document number, IPC, applicant, name of invention, as search keys.

b) Patent Gazette on CD-ROM
Since January 1994, the JPO has been publishing the Publication of Examined Applications on CD-ROM, a single-volume CD-ROM containing the Patent Gazette and Utility Model Gazette. Because the post-grant opposition rule was introduced in January 1996, the Publication of Examined Applications was abolished by March 1996. Since May 1996, the JPO has been publishing the Patent Gazette on CD-ROM, containing post-grant registration gazettes (Patent Gazette and Utility Model Gazette).
A single-volume Patent Gazette on CD-ROM contains a total of 2,300 issues of the gazettes and was published 52 times in 2002.
The gazettes contained in the Patent Gazette on CD-ROM can be searched by using 20 items, including document number, IPC, applicant, name of invention, as search key.
At the time of writing, about 15 software publishers are selling Japanese-language software that provides effective use of the Official Gazette on CD-ROM. Several companies provide Internet-based patent information services, utilizing the data on the Official Gazette on CD-ROM. The JPO has been providing foreign patent offices, free of charge, with viewer software (JMSCD4) for the Official Gazette on CD-ROM. This software runs on the English version of MS-Windows. This software is updated to keep up with the changes in the contents of the Official Gazette on CD-ROM. At time of writing, the current version (JMSCD4.2) has been provided to foreign patent offices since April 2000.
Also, the simplified viewer software, (JPO.CONV), which has been contained on the Publication of Unexamined Applications on CD-ROM since January 1996 and the Patent Gazette on CD-ROM since May 1996, was modified to display the data under English system and made available in October 1997.
From January, 2004, gazettes in XML format on DVD-ROM will be published instead of gazettes on CD-ROM.

c) Publication of Unexamined Applications on DVD-ROM
No. of cases: Approximately 8,000
Publishing cycle: Once a week (in principle)
Publishing will start on January 8, 2004.

d) Patent gazettes on DVD-ROM
No. of cases: approximately 2,300
Publishing cycle: Once a week
Publishing will start on July 7, 2004.

III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents

Abstracting, reviewing, translating

a) Abstract
Since December 1, 1990, the Japan Patent Office has required patent and utility model applicants to submit an abstract in addition to the specified application documents. The abstract is presented on the front page of a gazette together with the applicant's name, the title of the invention and other particulars. The abstract should be made by the applicant. To enhance its usefulness as part of the front-page database, the JPO checks whether the content of the abstract is appropriate. If it is considered to be inappropriate, the office modifies the abstract itself.

b) Preparation of and use of secondary documents:
1) Preparation of Patent Abstracts of Japan
The Patent Abstracts of Japan (PAJ) had been issued as a paper booklet which combines English abstracts of publications of (unexamined) patent applications, filed by Japanese applicants, and their representative drawings. The JPO has been sending the PAJ to foreign patent offices since its first issue.
Since April 1995, the PAJ for the Publication of Patent Applications, issued in October 1994 or later, has been issued in mixed mode CD-ROM format by using MIMOSA software jointly procured by Trilateral Patent Offices (JPO, USPTO, EPO) since April 1995, instead of in the conventional paper booklet format. Currently the PAJ is sent to 92 patent offices or public institutions in 80 countries.
PAJ issued in paper booklet format (from 1976 to 1993) were subsequently sorted into 69 technical fields and published on 99 CD-ROMs.
Starting from the issue in April, 1998, all applications by both Japanese and foreigners were presented in PAJ.
The PAJ/CD-ROM is sold to the general public. It can be used to create in-house database or to provide information services to a third party.
2) Preparation of PAJ/INDEX CD-ROM
The PAJ/INDEX CD-ROM contains a bibliography and an abstract of PAJs, and the disk number of the corresponding PAJ/CD-ROM.
The JPO has been publishing PAJ/INDEX CD-ROM quarterly since April 1997. The information on each PAJ/INDEX CD-ROM is organized chronologically based on a 3-month period up to one-year period, and is also sent to foreign patent offices that currently receive the PAJ/CD-ROM.
3) Preparation of PAJ/CD-ROM for Foreign Applicant Version
PAJ issued from April 1998 onward (Publications of (Unexamined) Patent Applications since 1998) also covers applications filed by foreigners. PAJ for publications from 1989 to 1997, which were filed by non-Japanese applicants and have not previously been included in the PAJ/CD-ROM, was subsequently stored in six CD-ROMs and issued according to IPC sections as follows: Sec. G (Mar. 1998), Sec. A & H (Mar. 1999), Sec. C (Mar. 2000) and Sec. B, D, E & F (Mar. 2001). 4) Foreign patent document
The JPO prepares coded data of Japanese abstracts of US patent specifications, the Publication of US Patent Specifications and EPO patent application specifications. The data are stored electronically and used as a search reference.

Classification and reclassification activities; Classification system used, e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC), other classification (please indicate whether or not patent documents are classified by your Office and, if so, which classification is used)

In 2002, the number of applications classified by the JPO by the international classification method was: about 440, 000 when the application was laid open, about 120,000 when the Patent Gazette or Utility Model Gazette was published and about 8,500 when the registered utility model gazette was published.
The JPO was very active in the effort to revise IPC. Also, JPO delegates were sent to IPC-related WIPO meetings and were very active participants.

Coordinate indexing (domestic deep indexing systems, keyword indexing)

The JPO continued the indexing of ICIREPAT types in the alloy field.
1) System name and symbol Alloy AL
2) Storage media Magnetic disk, variable block
3) Development stage Indexing continued
4) The number of indexed documents, year and origin. About 86,000 documents. By 2001. Japan.

Hybrid system indexing

An indexing code, which is a hybrid system, is assigned to each document and used as a search key.
An F-term derived by reclassifying or subdividing the IPC for each specified technical field from various technical viewpoints (purpose, purpose of use, structure, material, manufacturing method, processing method, control means, etc.) is assigned to each document and used as a search key.

Bibliographic data and full-text processing for search purposes

To enable full text search of documents, such as the publication of unexamined applications and Patent Gazette, the JPO prepares a search index, based on "n gram" technology for Japanese and "word gram" technology for English.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

File building

a) F-term analysis
The search file is classified into about 2,600 themes (technical fields). In 2001, about 1,800 themes were analyzed. Almost all themes, including about 800 themes for which F-term assignment is not needed (FI is sufficient) and about 1,800 themes for which analysis for the published documents were completed, can be used in the search.

b) Making F-terms available to general public
The JPO makes F-terms open to general public whenever they become available. Since industrial property information is provided via the Internet, F-term is available to the general public and a user can conduct F-term search via the Internet.

Updating

Updating of the search file
The search file used by the examiner is continuously updated so that it is the latest one. Japanese patent documents (publication of patent applications, registered utility model gazettes, etc.) are added to the search file in accordance with the JPO's internal classifications established by further developing IPC (FI). In 2002, about 380,000 documents in total were included in the search file.

Storage, including mass storage media

The search file used by the examiner is in electric data form and stored in a RAID system. Some of the search files are also saved in paper form.

Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file

Text data and image data of WIPO, the USPTO and EPO, as well as image data of major European countries are stored, and are suitable for IPC, ECLA and USC searches.

V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems

In-house systems (online/offline)

(online);
a) F-term search system
In December 1999, a patent and utility model search system, based on a distributed computing system, was put into operation. This system integrated (clustered) the existing search systems. The system integrated not only the F-term search system and a system to search computer-related non-patent document (CS document), but also a foreign patent document search system using EPO internal classification (ECLA) and the United States classification (USC). Multiple search keys, such as F-term, FI, free word, CS term, ECLA and USC, can be entered simultaneously; thus an examination environment, enabling seamless search of various documents, such as domestic patents, foreign patents and non-patents, was created. This system allows referencing by linking patent family documents and reference documents. Further, the text data of prior to laying-open specifications is stored and is available for prior to laying-open search.
A full text search in Japanese and English is also available, utilizing Patent Gazette text data and foreign patent gazette text data, collected through the paperless system. In January 2001, a new terminal incorporating a high-resolution LCD was introduced.

b) Appeal and trial decision search system (J-term search system)
Gazettes and other documents on appeal and trial decisions are converted into electric form and search keys, called J-term, are assigned to them; thereby enabling search and screening by using J-term. A full-text search is available for appeal and trial decisions issued after January 2000.

c) DNA search system
This is a search system for gene-related information and was introduced in January 1998. The system provides a homological search, which searches for a sequence utilizing the homogeny and which covers nucleotide sequences and amino acid sequences, and a key word search, which utilizes bibliographic data.

(offline);
a) LiqCryst
The JPO stores in a PC a database on liquid crystal material, provided in CD-ROM format by the University of Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany; thereby enabling a search.

External databases

The JPO's examiners used the following external databases for searches: Any databases listed below can be used online from the terminal in the JPO.

a) PATOLIS
A Japanese patent document search system, provided by the PATOLIS corp.

b) JOIS
A scientific and technical document (NPL) search system, provided by Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST).

c) CAS Online
Technical information document search system on structures of chemical substances, provided by the Japan Association for International Chemical Information (JAICI).

d) Science Direct
A website for searching more than 1,700 journals in the science, technology, medicine and social science fields provided by Elsevier and published by the Elsevier Group, EMBASE, Compendex and other bibliographic databases, reference works, etc.

e) IEEE/IEE
An Internet search site provided by IEEE/IEE for searching their publications (including magazine and minutes), IEEE standard, etc.

f) ACM/DL
An Internet search site provided by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for searching their scientific association journals.

g) YAKUNET
An Internet search site provided by Yakuji Nippo Limited for searching "Yakuji Nippo" (a magazine specialized in medicine-related information).

h) Nikkei Biotech Online
An Internet search site provided by Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. for searching biotechnology-related articles published in "Nikkei Biotech" magazine.

i) INTERGLAD
An Internet search site provided by the New Glass Forum for searching information on glass formation.

j) Science Online
An Internet search site for biotechnology-related information published in "Science" magazine.

k) ProQuest
An Internet search site for searching economy and finance-related documents.

l) Web of Science
An Internet search site enabling search for citation links among more than 8,000 magazines stored in three citation databases provided by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI).

m) G-Search
An Internet search site for enabling seach for full text articles on general newspapers, industry journals and specialty magazines.

n) NRI Cyber Patent Desk
An Internet search site enabling search for abstracts of company technical journals and concepts thereon.

o) Shoku Net
An Internet search site for searching articles in various areas concerning foods.

Administrative management systems (e.g., register, legal status, statistics, administrative support, etc.)

a) An electric application and file wrapping automation system
The JPO has been using an electronic application and file wrapping automation system since December 1990. This system improves the efficiency of administrative tasks by automatic duties, from filing an application, formality check and substantive examination, dispatching, registration, publishing a gazette, requesting for inspection of files, to requesting for certification. The whole contents of an application are digitized, stored in a record file, processed and managed. Currently, to improve the efficiency of drafting by linking with the search systems and of examination by implementing electronic approval, and for faster gazette publication and for separate management of each application, the following subsystems are operating:
1) Filing system (electric application filing)
2) Formality check system (automated formality check, formality-check-related drafting, approval and time management)
3) On-line dispatching system (online notification to applicant)
4) On-line viewing system (online request and viewing)
5)Examination-related administrative work system (substantive-examination-related drafting, approval and management)

With the introduction of this system, an applicant can electronically file a patent application or a utility model application.
In addition to filing an application from the specialized terminal, filing from a personal computer has been available since April 1998. By January 1999, filing an application by using a flexible disk (FD) was abolished and by the end of 2000, online filing from the specialized terminal was abolished.
In January 2000, a paperless system for administrative procedures was introduced. This system handles procedures relating to appeal (including reconsideration by examiner before appeal) and to the domestic administrative procedures of a JPO-designated PCT international application.
As of 2001, the ratios of online applications over all applications were 97% for patent and utility model, 97% for appeal, and 99% for the domestic administrative procedures of a PCT internal application. (The figures are for January to December averages.)

b) Other administrative procedure systems (existing system)
The following systems, operating before the electronic application system was introduced, have been operating successfully:
1) Application-related management system
This system provides computerized central management for application-related administrative work, including management of various progress information, extraction of an application for which a gazette is to be published and preparation of various statistical tables. (The management of patents, utility models, designs and trademarks filed prior to the electric application system. )
2) A file wrapping administrative work system for the information center
This system provides computerized central management for administrative work data, relating to disposed file wrapper kept in the information center, and performs duties, such as management and storage of file wrapper, lending and returning a file wrapper by using terminals.
3) Appeal/trial decision administrative work system
This system provides computerized central management for appeal/trial decision data, including management of progress information about various procedures and preparation of various statistical tables.
4) Registration administrative work system
This system provides computerized central management for the register, including certificate of patent creation, annual fee management, patent right transfer management, and online-preparation of patent register copy and inspection document.

Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used

a) The hardware used
1) Central processing unit MP5800/160 1 set
ACOS1510 1 set
M-680H 1 set
2) Terminals 4,300 units
3) Electronic disk unit 1 set
4) Semiconductor memory unit 1 set
5) Magnetic tape unit 15 sets
6) Magnetic disk unit 6 sets
7) Optical disk unit 11 sets
8) Optical disk library unit 6 sets
9) Server 201 sets
10) Disk array unit 425 sets
11) CD-ROM unit 12 sets

b) The communication lines used
1) Leased line 23 lines
2) ISDN 8 lines
3) Frame Relay 4 lines


b) The communication lines used
1) Leased line 23 lines
2) ISDN 8 lines
3) Frame Relay 4 lines

Existing online thesauri; their structure, presentation and usefulness for computerized searches

Since December 1999, the JPO has been operating the patent and utility model search system which enables a full text search function by utilizing the data collected through the paperless system. The collected text data includes Japanese Patent Gazette, foreign patent gazette and non-patent document. This search function supports the use of thesaurus dictionaries.
By utilizing thesaurus dictionaries, a user can expand the search almost routinely without manually inputting equivalent, synonym, related term or by-from of the search word. Thus, thesaurus dictionaries are essential to reduce the user input burden, and to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the full text search.
Current thesaurus dictionaries and functions available under the patent and utility model search system are listed below. Of which, a user can freely edit the theme dictionary and the edited contents can be used by all users.

a) Available thesaurus dictionaries
1) Common dictionary (synonyms)
Synonyms of common words are registered.
2) Common dictionary (by-form)
By-forms of common words are registered.
3) JICST dictionary (Japanese)
Technical term dictionary prepared by Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST).
4) JICST dictionary (English)
English technical term dictionary prepared by Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST).
5) JICST dictionary (Japanese-English translation dictionary)
A dictionary for the correspondence of technical terms between Japanese and English.
6) Theme dictionary (Japanese)
A synonym dictionary of technical terms in specific technical fields, prepared for a specific theme.

b) Available functions
1) Search word input assist function
A function used in inputting search words in full text searches.
Automatic expansion and manual expansion are available. In the automatic expansion, an examiner expands the search words by specifying the expansion level of the registered synonyms and creates a search formula. In the manual expansion, an examiner expands the search words by manually selecting the words from the registered synonym list and creates a search formula. Also, automatic assignment of search tag, neighborhood search selection and Japanese-English translation are available.
2) By-form word expansion function
A function to automatically expand Japanese by-form words and English by-form words.

VI. Administration of the industrial property office library and services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, for assisting clients on searching procedures, for obtaining official publications and registry extracts)

a) Providing industrial property rights information via the Internet
The JPO has been providing the Industrial Property Digital Library service since March 1999. This service is accessible through the Internet and covers 48 million items of industrial property information by using document number and/or classification as search keys.
Main services relating to patent information that the JPO provides are as follows:

1) Simplified search for beginners (patent and utility model)
This search means is for beginners who are not familiar with industrial property information. Patent and utility model application gazettes on CD-ROMs (publication and re-publication of utility model applications and registrations) issued since 1993 can be referred to by free-word searches or by document number.
2) Patent/Utility Model Gazette database search
Various patent and utility model gazettes (including publication of patent applications, examined applications and registrations), published in 1885 and later can be searched by using document number. An English version is available.
3) Search for patent/utility model documents by reference numbers
Searches for patent/utility model gazettes published since 1923 can be made by reference number. An English version is available.
4) IPC search
Searches for patent/utility model gazettes published since 1885 can be made by IPC or Facet for desired documents.
5) Front page search for publication of patent applications
Front pages of patent applications published in January 1993 and later can be searched by free word or document number.
6) Patent Abstracts of Japan (PAJ) search
English abstracts of the publication of patent applications published in January 1993, and after, can be searched by free word or document number.
Also, since March 2000, the JPO has been providing the full text (machine translated into English) of publications of patent applications.
7) Gazette text search
Publications of patent and utility model applications, published in January 1993, and after, publications of examined patent and utility model applications and publications of registrations, published in January 1994 and later, can be searched by free word or document number.
8) FI and/or F-term search
Searches for patent/utility model gazettes published since 1885 can be made by FI-term and/or F-term for desired documents. An English version is available.
9) Patent map guidance
IPC list, FI list, F-term description and F-term list can be referenced. An English version is available.

Further, the published appeal and trial decisions in 1940, and after, and as related information, the information on appeal and trial decisions, the legal status on applications, registrations and decisions, the collection of cases on suit against appeal/trial decisions, the list of examiners in charge and others can be referenced.

b)Providing JPO data
In March 1999, the JPO began providing the JPO's bibliographical and progress information to outside users at marginal cost by organizing and converting it in the standard format for better usability for the users. About twice a month, the data is provided.

c) National Center for Industrial Property Information (NCIPI), an independent administrative institution
NCIPI, which became an independent administrative institution in April, 2001, supplies industrial property information including patent gazettes. Its major activities are listed below:

1) Reference to patent gazettes, etc.
Gazettes on CD-ROM, etc. as well as the JPO's "IPDL Service" are available to the public free of charge in the gazette reading room on the 2nd floor of the JPO building. There are approximately 150 such reading devices in the room.
Reading devices for this purpose are provided at eight other places in Japan (Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Takamatsu, Fukuoka and Naha) where similar reference services and so forth are provided.
A total of approximately 67,000 persons used the services at the above facilities in 2002.
2) Reference to examination and trial documents
Various technical documents (books, etc.) to be used for the JPO's examinations and trials are collected both domestically and from abroad and made available to the public.
3) Presentation of open patent information
To promote the smooth circulation of useful, disclosure-oriented patents (open patents) in industry and among local companies, as well as their use by industry and local companies, the JPO compiled a database of the open patents held by companies, universities, public research institutes, etc. and made it available on the internet as a patent circulation database.
Approximately 51,000 items were in the patent circulation database as of July, 2003.

d) Intellectual Property Centers
At Intellectual Property Centers at 58 places throughout Japan, visitors are given advice on suitable industrial property information search methods and the like, and seminars on industrial property information search methods are held periodically. Pamphlets and other documents are prepared at these centers and distributed to local companies, etc.
To support the above activities, NCIPI dispatches to the centers its IPDL search advisors with specialized knowledge of patent information and methods of searching for such information.

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information

International or regional cooperation in the exchange of machine-readable information, e.g., bibliographic data, abstract and/or full text information

a) Trilateral data exchange and data exchange between two countries
Regarding the trilateral exchange of data, the JPO periodically provides bibliographic data of gazettes, recorded in electronic media (such as CD-ROM), to the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
In addition, the JPO sends, on CD-ROM, concordance data of patent document numbers, Patent Abstracts of Japan (PAJ) data and IPC file.
Regarding the exchange of data between two countries, the JPO sends to China and Taiwan image and bibliographic data on all patent gazettes, utility model gazettes, etc. prior to the first issue of gazettes on CD-ROM, recorded in electronic media (such as CD-R). The JPO will send to the Republic of Korea text data of part of the above gazettes, recorded in electronic media.
The EPO sends to the JPO the data by CMT. Incorporating the publication of unexamined applications bibliographic data provided by the JPO, the data includes the consolidated and edited bibliographic data of: the publication of unexamined applications of each country; full text character/image data of laid-open patent application specifications; and the data of classifications, patent inventory and patent family.
The USPTO sends to the JPO full text character/image data of patent application specifications and full text character/image data of laid-open patent application specifications by DLT and classification data by FTP.

b) Trilateral exchange of DNA sequence data
The JPO sent the DNA sequence data published in Patent Gazette (3,117 data) to the National Institute of Genetics, one of the intermediaries for the trilateral data exchange.

c) English translation of F-terms
1,906 F-term themes have been translated into English under the cooperation of the Trilateral Patent Offices. The translated data was sent to USPTO and EPO as trilateral exchange data.
In addition, because the translation is the result of and shared by Trilateral Patent Offices, the JPO has been publishing it under the JPO's Industrial Property Digital Library (IPDL) since March 2001.

d) Sending Official Gazette on CD-ROM to overseas
To date, the JPO has sent a total of 90 CD-ROMs of Patent Gazette to 1 international organization, 33 patent offices and others.
Also, the JPO has sent a total of 93 CD-ROMs of publication of applications to 1 international organization, 27 patent offices and others.

Medium used for exchange of priority documents

On-line or CD-R

Medium allowed for filing applications

On-line or paper
CD-R or floppy disc may be used in case of emergency.

Implementation of the Statement of Principles Concerning the Changeover to Electronic Data Carriers for the Exchange of Patent Documents (please provide a status report on the extent to which your Office has changed over to electronic data carriers for the exchange of patent documents)

See 5th item of Paragraph II and 1st and 2nd items of Paragraph VII.

VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries

Training courses for national and foreign participants, use of audiovisual means

See 2nd and 3rd items.

Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)

a) Assistance to developing countries in cooperation with WIPO
As a contribution to the WIPO/State-of-the-Art-Searches for Developing-Countries, the JPO provides search results without charge to developing countries via WIPO. The JPO created search reports on approximately 100 applications per year from FY 1998.

b) Activities and assistance using a voluntarily contribution fund (trust fund) to WIPO
1) In December 2002, the JPO held the WIPO Asia-Pacific Regional Forum in the Republic of the Philippines under the theme of "The Role of Intellectual Property Offices for Economic and Technological Development." About 21 Asia-Pacific region countries attended the Forum.
2) In February 2003, the JPO held the WIPO Asian Regional Workshop in the Kingdom of Thailand under the theme of "The Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)." 36 participants from 21 Asia-Pacific region countries attended the Workshop.
3) In January 2003, the JPO held the WIPO Asian Regional Symposium in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka under the theme of "The Promotion of Intellectual Property Awareness through Public Outreach." 32 participants from 20 Asia-Pacific region countries attended the Symposium.
4) Sending experts
To provide training and advice on patent examination and computerization, the JPO sent 1 expert official for each to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, the Department of Intellectual Property, Standardization and Metrology of Lao People's Democratic Republic, and the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka, and 2 expert officials to the Department of Intellectual Property of Thailand.
5) Training for government officials
In cooperation with the JIII, the JPO accepted 62 traninees in total from the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the Kingdom of Bhutan, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of the Fiji Islands, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, the Union of Myanmar, the Kingdom of Nepal, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (19 countries) for training on Industrial Property Administration, the Enforcement of the Intellectual Property Rights, the Examination Practices of Industrial Property Rights, and the Use of Information Techinology in Industrial Property Administration.

c) Assistance to developing countries using other institutions
1) Sending experts
Under the Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) scheme, the JPO sent 1 expert official to the Department of Justice and Human Right Republic of Indonesia, Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights, 2 officials to the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia, 3 officials to the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam, and 1 official to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines to provide training and advice on patent examination and computerization.
2) Modernization of Intellectual Property Administration
The JPO carried out the following projects in the Kingdom of Thailand, the Republic of the Philippines, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam through the JICA project-type technical cooperation;
The Kingdom of Thailand: The JPO cooperation with JICA helped to establish the Industrial Property Information Center (IPIC) in the Department of Intellectual Property of Thailand in 1995. The JPO helped establish an industrial property right automation system and provided assistance, until June 2000, to provide and promote industrial property right information to users.
The Republic of the Philippines: The JPO carried out technology transfer and human resource development for modernization of industrial property right administrative procedures of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines from May 1999 to May 2003, through establishing the bibliographic database, the system applicable to the old law and of the PCT subsystem patent administrative procedure system.
The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam: In April 2000, the JPO began the "Modernization of Industrial Property Administration Project in Viet Nam",a four-year project for the modernization of administrative procedure at the National Office of Industrial Property of Viet Nam. This project is aimed at developing human resources through the automation of the administrative works.
3) Training for government officials
In cooperation with JICA, the JPO provided a group training course on intellectual property for government officials from developing APEC economies involved in intellectual property right administration and examination. 17 officials in total from the Republic of Chile, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of the Philippines and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam attended the training course. Patent information lectures and practical training regarding searches were provided.
The JPO sent expert officials to the Republic of Malaysia, the Republic of Philippines and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and invited a total of 9 counterparts from these countries for specialized training such as lectures on computer-related technology and practical training.
The JPO held industrial property right enforcement seminars in the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Singapore. 35 participants from the enforcement-related governmental agencies in the People's Republic of China, and 29 participants form 5 Asian countries including the Republic of Singapore attended the seminar.
4) Training for the private sector
In cooperation with the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) and the JIII, the JPO held a total of 8 industrial property right training courses. Lectures were given on industrial property rights in general, including industrial property right information searches. 131 participants from the Republic of Chile, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, the United Mexican States, the Republic of the Philippines, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, India, the Laos People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia and the Union of Myanmar attended the seminar.
5) Cooperative seminars on promoting cooperation in the field of industrial property rights
In the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in January 2002, the JPO held an industrial property -related seminar under the theme of "Modernization of Industrial Property Rights--- What Users Demand" for strengthening the industrial property system and promoting the sharing of knowledge and experience and the information exchange among experts of industrial property Offices of member countries under the framework of ASEAN.

d) Project for Production of CD-ROMs containing laws and regulations related to intellectual property rights
In order to assist intellectual property offices in developing countries in which domestic laws on intellectual property rights are being established, the JPO has been engaged in the "Project to Assist in Gathering Information Related to Overseas Industrial Property Right Systems." Under this program, laws and regulations related to the industrial property rights of major developed and developing countries are translated into English, if necessary, and recorded on CD-ROM, to which a search function is added.
In fiscal year 2002, industrial property right laws (including laws and enforcement rules) from a total of 54 countries and a total of 14 international agreements were recorded on CD-ROM and provided without charge to developing countries, mainly in the APEC region. Information from the Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, The Philippines, Portugal, The Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, The UK, The US, Viet Nam, Ireland, India, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Benelux Union, Eurasia Patent Office, EPO, European Community, Budapest Treaty, Madrid Agreement & Protocol, NAFTA, Paris Convention, PCT, Trademark Law Treaty, and TRIPS. The JPO intends to increase the number of countries and laws covered under this program.

Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)

a) In Japan, the JPO held seminars to explain IPC to private-sector users of industrial property information. It also held briefing sessions to explain IPDL searches, thus paving the way for the growth in referring to the Industrial Property Digital Library (IPDL). These seminars were held as follows:
October, 2002 Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi and Kagawa
November, 2002 Hokkaido, Miyagi and Fukuoka
December, 2002 Hiroshima
*At the IPC briefing sessions, lectures on specific fields (machinery, chemistry, electronics and software) and FI- and F-terms, in addition to general topics, were given.

b) The JPO had prepared a booklet ("IPC Illustrated") to facilitate the use of IPC among private sectors in searching industrial property information. In 1998, under the new title "Easy-to-Understand IPC (IPC Illustrated)," its coverage was expanded to other technical fields which were not properly illustrated, so that users could easily find proper IPCs corresponding to the whole part or the components of technology.
In March 2001, booklets for the following 3 fields were published:
1) Welfare equipment Principal IPC subclasses A61G, A61H and B66B
2) Small motors Principal IPC subclass H02K
3) Displays Principal IPC subclasses G02B, G02F, G09F and H01J

Studies to identify trends in new technology, e.g., by the use of patent statistics, preparation of monographs, etc.

The JPO conducts "Survey on technological trends of patent applications "based on patent as well as economic information mainly in fields in which the number of applications is increasing or those in which technological advances are foreseen. The purposes of this survey are to understand the research and development trends of enterprises and research institutes, to contribute to determination of the future direction of technological development, and to enable implementation of accurate examination and establishment of a flexible examination structure.
In FY 2002, the JPO conducted the survey concerning the following 14 themes:
- Life science
- Medical Imaging Equipment
- Automatic Speech Recognition
- Modem system used in broadband communication
- Cryptography
- Construction IT techniques
- SOI (Silicon On Insulator) techniques
- Semiconductor design aid (EDA) techniques
- Low-environmental-load energy techniques
- Heating and cooling systems with natural working fluids
- Nanotechnology, centered on bottom-up technology
- Photomask
- Advanced Safety Vehicle (Driver Support System)
- Next generation machine tool (High accuracy & High speed,Low environmental impact,Ultra precision machine tool)
The survey results are available on the JPO website.

Assistance furnished by offices to facilitate the changing over of receiving offices to electronic data carriers for the exchange of patent documents (see also 4th item of paragraph VI, above)

See 2nd item of Paragraph VIII.

IX. Other relevant matters