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Annual Technical Report on Industrial Design Information Activities in 2025 submitted by Japan

Please provide links to your website where the requested information can be found in English, French, or Spanish.  Alternately, you may provide text responses instead of URLs if desired.  If the information is not available on your website in an ATR language, then please provide text.

URLs in responses should meet the following requirements:

  • Link to pages with information in English, Spanish, or French
  • The URL will remain stable over time (at least three years, preferably more)
  • Goes to the specific information requested, not to a general homepage
  • If the URL goes to a long PDF document such as an annual report, please indicate which sections or pages contain relevant information.
  • Provide additional instructions for using the URL if needed. For instance, if the page requires the user to login first, or if the requested information requires selecting certain options or filters on the page that can not be included in the URL. 


The term "industrial designs" covers industrial designs and models.

Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in this series of Annual Technical Reports.

I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Information on the following topics is desired:

  • Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of industrial design information activities and expected time frames for their realization

    The outline of main policies and plans of patent information activities have officially been announced in the following report.

    “Toward further utilization of patent information” Report, submitted by the subcommittee on dissemination and utilization of patent information consisting of patent information experts, appointed under the Intellectual Property Committee under Industrial Structure Council, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, in May 2016.

    The future direction of the official patent information provision service operated by the JPO and the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (INPIT) has been summarized as below.

    The JPO and the INPIT should continuously improve the infrastructure of patent information provision service to broadly disseminate the patent information with the efforts to provide the world’s utmost quality service for the users in Japan with full considerations of the trends of globalization, advancement of IT, approaches to the related services by foreign IP offices and private business operators, and requests from users in Japan including small and medium-sized companies and individuals. 

    The following policies are mentioned in the report with the said fundamental concept.

    (i) Improving accessibility to foreign patent documents by using machine translation to Japanese.

    (ii) Provision of One Portal Dossier (OPD) service, which is to offer overseas dossier information collectively.

    (iii) Improving accessibility to unified database, which is internal and external to the JPO, through basic functions.

    (iv) Provision of the service to share Japan’s world’s fastest and utmost quality examination results.

    (v) External provision of substantive examinations/ appeal examinations related information regarding Design and Trademark.





II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Information on the following topics is desired:

  • Information and support provided by the Office to applicants regarding filing on paper and/or e-filing (instructions, seminars, etc.) – URLs

    a) Paper based application

    The INPIT provides the free consultation service on the procedures for industrial property rights at the Consultation Desk in the JPO office building.

    Moreover, the portal site for consultation and support on intellectual property is available at:

    https://faq.inpit.go.jp/.

    b) Electronic application

    The e-filing software allows users to conduct administrative procedures such as the filing of applications for patents, utility models, industrial designs and trademarks, and PCT-RO international application, appealing for trials and payment of the annual fees, and receipt of documents dispatched from the JPO, on-line. The software may be downloaded for free.

    https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/process/shutugan/pcinfo/index.html


  • Availability of the application dossier in electronic form

    a) On-line reference

    The software for electronic application allows users to request or refer to application documents and registers from computers from their home or office, and to make a request for issuing certifications on-line.

    See 2. (1) b) for the software for electronic application.


  • Classification and reclassification activities;  classification system used, e.g., International Classification for Industrial Designs (Locarno Classification), other classification

    In January 2005, the JPO started using the revised Japanese Design Classification in order to cope with the new conception of articles etc. such as the information and communication devices. The revised Japanese Design Classification mainly uses the concept of the usage in the same way as the former Japanese Design Classification, which is comprised of a 3-stage classification; group, main class, and minor class, and consists of about 3,200 classification branches in total. Also, the JPO provides about 2,000 branches of D-terms, which are search keys to further subdivide the Japanese Design Classification mainly based on the forms of articles.

    Further, in April 2020, graphic image designs not recorded or displayed on goods were newly protected, and in response, a new classification branch and D-terms for graphic image designs that was subdivided mainly from the viewpoint of form was created. At the same time, a new classification branch was created for buildings and interiors, which were new protected objects.

    In 2025, the JPO assigned the Japanese Design Classification and D-terms to about 31,000 filed applications for design registration and about 423,000 cases of examination materials collected from foreign design gazettes, magazines, catalogues, Internet, etc.

    In addition, the following information is provided.

    ・A Cross-reference table between the Locarno Classification and the Japanese Design Classification (a concordance data)

    For effective usage of the Japanese Design Gazettes as examination materials in foreign countries, the JPO established and published a cross-reference table between the Locarno Classification and the Japanese Design Classification (a concordance data). The JPO lists the Locarno International Classification in the gazettes in addition to the Japanese Design Classification.


  • Other activities      Nothing in particular


III. SOURCES OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE

Information on the following topics is desired:

  • Main types of publications in the field of industrial design information, outline of the content (industrial design applications, design patents, registrations, etc.) and medium (on paper, on CDs, online – URLs)

    The JPO publishes the following official gazettes via the Internet in 2025:

    - Publication of Registered Design

    - Publication of Decision on Appeal/Trial in Design

    The following is the URL of the Publication of Registered Design provided through the Internet.

    URL: https://www.gazette.jpo.go.jp/scciidl010/onclickenglishbtn?hyouziFlag=2


  • Official Gazettes:  main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online – (URL), etc.     Nothing in particular


  • Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external documentation and databases

    a) Internal databases

    See 4. (3) and (4).

    b) External database

    In August 2025, use of a commercial database search service containing foreign design publication data and incorporating an AI-powered similar-image search function was initiated.


  • Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) and services available to external users;  conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)

    a) Providing patent information via the Internet

    a-1) Providing official gazettes via the Internet

    See 3. (1)

    a-2) J-PlatPat

    Refer to p.128(ii) of JPO Status Report.

    https://www.jpo.go.jp/resources/report/statusreport/2026/document/index/0203.pdf#page=23

    3) FOPISER

    In August 2015, the JPO launched the FOPISER a search service to promptly provide the general users with patent information obtained from foreign IP Offices through data exchange with foreign IP Offices.

    Design documents of Russian Federation, Taiwan, EUIPO, Vietnam, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia which are not available on the J-PlatPat, are available for retrieval of document numbers using a Japanese user interface. In addition, as of March 2025, it also has become possible to search bibliographic information by product names and descriptions regarding design.

    b) Providing JPO data

    The following types of data is currently provided to commercial providers in Japan by bulk download service.

    b-1) New Standardized Data

    This data is the JPO’s bibliographical and status information converted and processed into TSV format for better usability for external users. The data has been provided since May 2019.

    b-2) Publicly Known Design Image File

    Document list and image data among publicly known designs, whose use is permitted by the applicants, is recorded.

    b-3) Japanese Design Classification Reanalysis Data

    This is the data in CSV format of the result of reanalysis of some of the registered designs that were assigned the Japanese design classification/D term before the revision of the Japanese design classification, using the revised Japanese design classification.

    c) Reference to design gazettes, etc.

    The INPIT has 4 access devices which is available in the Official gazettes reading room in the JPO office building. This allows free public access to the J-PlatPat Service, gazettes on CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, etc.

    d) Reference to examination and trial document

    The INPIT is collecting various technical documents (books, etc.), which are used in the examinations and trials by the JPO, widely from inside and outside of Japan and making them available to the public.

    e) Search support tool for Image Design Gazettes (Graphic Image Park)

    INPIT started providing “Search support tool for Image Design Gazettes (Graphic Image Park)” using Image Matching technology in October 2015. Graphic Image Park is a tool which enables users to search image designs registered as Design in Japan by just entering image files.

    (URL) https://www.graphic-image.inpit.go.jp/


  • Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)Legal status information of applications filed in 1964 onwards can be searched on the J-PlatPat by using document numbers such as application numbers and registration numbers, etc. In addition, Alert Service (RSS distribution) to notify of the status information update of designated applications is also available. RSS distribution has been expanded to cover all design applications from 2021.


  • Other sources      Nothing in particular


IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Information on the following topics is desired:

  • Specific software tools supporting business procedures within the Office:  general description, characteristics, advantages, possible improvements

    In January 2000, a paperless system for design was launched and the administrative and examination procedures were completely moved to a system based on electronic data. Therefore, a total system, covering every procedure from design application filing, formality check and substantive examination, dispatching, registration, publishing the gazette, requesting inspection of files, to requesting certification, was realized. The effect of this system is far reaching, such as more efficient drafting based on the close link between the administrative system and the design search system, more efficient examination by implementation of electronic approval, faster design gazette publication and the separate management of each application.

    With the realization of the above system, the JPO started receiving online applications for designs. Since the introduction of the system, the online filing rate has been consistently high.

    Refer to p.130(i) of JPO Status Report 2025 for information on system improvements.

    https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/resources/report/statusreport/2025/index.html


  • Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office        Servers, network devices, PCs etc.


  • Internal databases:  coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources

    a) Design search system

    This is a client server-type online system for retrieving application documentary materials and publicly known documentary materials (including foreign design gazettes) by using the Japanese Design Classification and D-terms (search keys that subdivide the Japanese Design Classification), indication of articles (goods), applicant identifying numbers, etc. as search keys. The image data of the document retrieved is sent from the image file server and displayed (color image data is displayed in color) onto the screen of a terminal, for enabling high-speed screening. For an efficient document search, a function is provided to display the design classifications and applicant identifying numbers etc. by the frequency of them coming up as cited references based on past examination results.

    As bibliographic data of filed applications for searches, application numbers, filing date, registration numbers, registration date, indication of articles (goods), Japanese Design Classification, D-terms, the International Classification of Industrial Design (Locarno Classification) and others are used. As bibliographic data of other documents for searches, disclosure dates, acceptance dates, publishing date, indication of articles (goods), Japanese design classifications, D-terms and others are used. The data is stored in a database according to the type of materials.

    b) Search System for Appeal/Trial and Court Decisions (J-term search system)

    Trial/appeal decisions and court judgements are accumulated in the form of electronic data with a search index, called “J-term” and searching and screening for the appropriate appeal/trial and court decisions are conducted by using “J-term.”

    In addition, a full-text search service is available for appeal/trial and court decisions issued in or after January 2020.


  • Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file:  file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file

    a) File building

    The JPO has stored in search files the image data (including color image data) and the bibliographic data (including the Japanese Design Classification and D-term) of publicly known　designs presented in the following: magazines published in Japan and abroad, catalogs, websites, foreign design gazettes and elsewhere. These are used as the base data for the JPO’s design examination.

    On January 1, 2000, the JPO started accepting design registration applications on-line. Accordingly, information on designs of which the registration has been applied for is automatically put into the search files. By the end of 2025, the search files accumulated the image data and bibliographic data of about 2.8 million application materials and about 10.5 million publicly known designs.

    b) Updating

    In 2025, the image data and bibliographic data for about 31,000 applications and about 423,000 publicly known designs were added.

    c) Storage, including mass storage media

    The image data is stored on RAID and the bibliographic data on a database.

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

    The bibliographic data and image data of design gazettes published by the CNIPA, the EUIPO, the MOIP, the USPTO, and the WIPO are stored, and those data can be searched by using the Japanese Design Classification.


  • Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)　　　See 4. (1)


  • Other matters 　　　Nothing in particular


V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION

Information on the following topics is desired:

  • Office’s library (if deals with industrial design information): equipment, collection management, network of libraries in the country, cooperation with foreign libraries

    a) Operation of the JPO Library, collection, and management of materials

    a-1) Operation of the JPO Library

    The JPO Library, as a branch library of the National Diet Library, is located on the first basement of the JPO office building, and is operated in the following manner:

    1. Users

    - JPO staff and general users

    1. Open

    - 9:30 to 17:30

    a-2) Collection of materials

    The followings are collected: Materials concerning IP right legislation and the peripheral laws inside and outside of Japan, related materials necessary for understanding IP rights, related materials necessary for study of IP rights, and reference materials for general administration.

    As of the end of 2025, the library contains about 38,893 volumes.

    a-3) Preservation method of materials

    The books are labeled and stored with a storage number and classification data, and the bibliographic information is inputted in the library system constructing a database for the books.


  • Publications related to different business procedures and industrial design information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.

    a) J-PlatPat and Graphic Image Park

    The INPIT compiles an instruction brochure/manual for how to operate and utilize various search services provided by the J-PlatPat and Graphic Image Park.

    URL https://www.inpit.go.jp/j-platpat_info/reference/index.html

    b) e-filing

    Useful information on e-filing including how to fill out application forms and FAQs is provided at the “E-filing software support website”.

    URL https://www.pcinfo.jpo.go.jp/site/

    See 3. (4) for information products available to external users.


  • Cooperation with universities, technology and innovation support centers, etc.　　　Nothing in particular


  • Education and training:  training courses, e learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.

    a) J-PlatPat and Graphic Image Park training seminars

    Training seminars of the J-PlatPat and Graphic Image Park are held online by the INPIT for beginners of industrial property right search from individuals and SMEs. In addition, videos of the seminar were provided through the e-learning system (IP ePlat).

    b) Search expert training seminars

    The INPIT held the following trainings.

    ・Training for Design Search(Let’s get closer to the Examiner's viewpoint!)

    The seminar aims at developing human resources, who are capable of effectively protecting product designs by industrial design rights and are properly figuring out scopes of rights after acquisition of rights and utilizing design rights under business strategies. (One time)

    c) Provision of IP ePlat

    The INPIT provides an e-learning service, “IP ePlat,” which offers free access to educational materials developed and produced based on the knowledge, experience, and expertise of the JPO and INPIT.

    Japanese: https://www.inpit.go.jp/jinzai/ipeplat/index.html


  • Other activities 　　　Nothing in particular


VI.INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION

Information on the following topics is desired:

  • International exchange of industrial design information in machine-readable form (e.g., Official Gazettes)a) Media-less Distribution of Official Gazette Information Overseas 
    We currently provide data in a media-less format.　


  • Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to industrial design information

    The JPO started providing the Design Gazette which carries information about registered design of Japan on a worldwide industrial design information database, “Global Design Database” owned by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), on August 1, 2015.

    At the 12th session of the WIPO Standards (CWS) held in September 2024, the creation of the IP Data Exchange Task Force was approved. Within this Task Force, Japan, together with Saudi Arabia and the International Bureau of WIPO, is leading discussions on proposals regarding the exchange of intellectual property data.

    At the 13th session of the CWS in November 2025, responses to a survey conducted by the Task Force on the practices and challenges of IP data exchange, as well as an analysis of the challenges faced in IP data exchange, were shared. The CWS also discussed the “Draft Recommendations for the Exchange of IP Data and its Use,” which were prepared based on the IP5 Information Dissemination Policy.


  • Assistance to developing countries

    a) Activities/cooperation through voluntary contributions (Funds-in-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global（FIT Japan IP Global）) for WIPO

    a-1) ASEAN IP Register

    The Japan Patent Office has been supporting the development of the “ASEAN IP Register,” an online intellectual property information search service for ASEAN countries and launched the system in fiscal year 2023. Through this system, it is now possible to access patent, design, and trademark information from nine countries—excluding Myanmar—all in one place. Even after its launch, regular meetings have been held to enhance the usability of the ASEAN IP Register. In 2025, the 8th ASEAN IP Register Regional Coordinators Meeting was held in Cambodia. At the meeting we focused on improving and strengthening the ASEAN IP Register data service, and discussed digitization efforts, the progress to date, and challenges related to improving data quality and the publication of full-text patent documents.

    a-2) Digitization support

     In FY 2024, we implemented the paper documents digitization project at the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), as well as in Ecuador, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka.

    b) Training for IT human resource development

    In FY2025, the JPO conducted a training program by invitation to develop human resources for efficient construction and utilization of IT infrastructure in IP offices, and 18 IT personnel from IP offices in developing countries completed the program.


  • Other activities 　　Nothing in particular

VII. ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WIPO STANDARDS CONCERNING INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION

Note: For each Standard listed below, please enter one of the following values: 

  • "Fully implemented"
  • “Partially implemented”
  • "On implementation phase"
  • "Planning to implement"
  • “On assessment phase” 
  • "No plan to implement"

Implementation Status Definitions

"Fully implemented" 

The WIPO Standard has been implemented in a manner compliant or compatible with the Standard.

"Partially implemented" 

The WIPO Standard has been implemented in part.  The Office practice aligns with some, but not all, requirements of the Standard.

"On implementation phase"

The decision to implement the WIPO Standard has been made and it is currently being deployed, configured, or integrated into systems and workflows.

"Planning to implement"

The decision to implement the WIPO Standard has been made;  planning activities (resource allocation, timeline development, technical design) are underway before actual implementation begins.

"On assessment phase"

The WIPO Standard is under active evaluation to determine its feasibility, technical requirements, costs, benefits, and alignment with organizational needs before making an implementation decision.

"No plan to implement"

The WIPO Standard has been reviewed and there is currently no intention or plan to implement it.


WIPO Standard ST.2:  Standard manner for designating calendar dates by using the Gregorian calendar

"Partially implemented" 

In some displays, JPO represents months or days with a value of less than 10 without a leading zero.


WIPO Standard ST.3:  Recommended standard on two-letter codes for the representation of states, other entities and intergovernmental organizations

"Fully implemented"


WIPO Standard ST.13:  Recommendation for the numbering of applications for industrial property rights (IPRs)

"No plan to implement"


WIPO Standard ST.80:  Recommendation concerning bibliographic data relating to industrial designs

"Fully implemented"


WIPO Standard ST.81:  Recommendation concerning the content and layout of industrial design gazettes

"Fully implemented"

 

WIPO Standard ST.86:  Recommendation for the processing of industrial design information using XML (extensible markup language)

"No plan to implement"


WIPO Standard ST.87:  Recommendation for the exchange of industrial design legal status data

"No plan to implement"


WIPO Standard ST.88:  Recommendations for electronic representation of industrial designs

"No plan to implement"


WIPO Standard ST.90:  Recommendation for processing and communicating intellectual property data using web APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)

"No plan to implement"


WIPO Standard ST.91:  Recommendations on digital three-dimensional (3D) models and 3D images

"No plan to implement"


WIPO Standard ST.92:  Recommendations on the data package format for the electronic exchange of priority documents

"Planning to implement"


WIPO Standard ST.96:  Recommendation for the processing of intellectual property information using XML (extensible markup language)

“Partially implemented” implemented for publications


WIPO Standard ST.97:  Recommendation for processing of intellectual property data using JSON

"No plan to implement"


VIII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS








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