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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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(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

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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

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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)

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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)

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IX. Other relevant matters

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