Annual Technical Report on Industrial Design Information Activities in 2015 submitted by JAPAN
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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 expression "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
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 design information activities have officially been announced in the following plans.
a) Plan for Optimization of Operations and Systems of the JPO (revised in March 2013)
The following actions are proposed about improvement of the search environment and external provision of information.
(i) Use of machine translation in order to meet needs for/search foreign documents
(ii) External provision of information relevant to examination and appeal/trial on design
b) Summary of the Intellectual Property Committee under Industrial Structure Council, the Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry (February 2014)
The following actions were proposed as subjects for which specific measures should be taken.
(i) Realization of the world’s utmost quality service to provide information on intellectual property rights
(ii) Provision of information on valid domestic and foreign industrial designs in order to promote
innovation centering on designs and brands in Japan
(iii) Tools capable of searching for the absence or presence of relevant registered designs regarding
graphical user interface (GUI) tried to be used by business operators using image matching technology etc.
c) Intellectual Property Promotion Plan
The following actions are proposed as matters to be addressed in a short period also in the Intellectual Property Promotion Plan of the government.
(i) Dissemination of English translations of trial/appeal decisions made by the JPO examiners in foreign
countries in order to improve/enhance the dissemination of information on those trial/appeal decisions to international users
(ii) Further consolidating the infrastructure in order to reduce users’ burden for the access to industrial
design information including overseas
New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the policies(plans) mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tasks
Concerning the above a)(i), the JPO started Foreign Patent Information Service (FOPISER) which enables users to retrieve overseas industrial design information obtained by data exchange with foreign IP offices in Japanese by means of machine translation in August 2015. For details, see 3.(4) a-3).
Concerning the above b)(i), the JPO renovated the “Industrial Property Digital Library (IPDL)” that had provided IP rights information via the Internet without any charges since March 1999 and started providing the “Japan Platform for Patent Information (J-PlatPat)” in March 2015, a new service to provide IP rights information in order to meet advancing and diversifying user needs. The J-PlatPat has user-friendly interface and provides search/retrieve services for IP rights information. In addition, it enables commercial providers in Japan to download the JPO-owned data in bulk. For more information about this, see 3.(4)(a-2).
Concerning the above c)(i), the JPO implemented provision of manual English translations of trial/appeal decisions etc. (trial/appeal decisions, decisions on opposition, Hantei (advisory opinions on the scope of industrial property rights)) which are considered useful for understanding of legal interpretations and operations categorized by type, field or other attributes of the case. In addition, the Office began providing machine English translations of trial/appeal decisions published as gazettes on the J-PlatPat in January 2016.
Main areas of industrial design information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year
Toward the realization of “the world’s utmost quality service to provide patent information,” in order to discuss how the measures for disseminating and utilizing patent information should be, the subcommittee on dissemination and utilization of patent information consisting of patent information experts was appointed under the Intellectual Property Committee under Industrial Structure Council, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in July 2015. The result of the study was summarized as a report, “Toward further utilization of patent information” in May, 2016.
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants (registrations) with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
In 2015, the number of applications was 29,903 (up 0.6% compared to the previous year) and the number of registrations was 26,297 (down 3.7% compared to the previous year).
In 2015, the number of design applications in the following fields (Japanese classification for industrial designs)* has significantly increased compared to the previous year.
ž Automatic vending and service machines (Japanese classification for industrial designs: J5) (up 64.9% compared to the previous year)
ž Ad instruments, indicators and goods display instruments (Japanese classification for industrial designs:
F5) (up 64.7% compared to the previous year)On the other hand, in 2015, the number of design applications in the following fields recorded significant declines from the previous year.
ž Rotary electric machinery, power distribution machinery and instruments (Japanese classification for industrial designs: H2) (down 30.3% compared to the previous year)
ž Woven cloth fabrics, plates, strings or the like Japanese classification for industrial designs: M1) (down 18.6% compared to the previous year)
* A research was conducted on the classifications the numbers of applications of which were 100 or more among the main class classifications of the Japanese classification for industrial designs.
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.
(Annual Report in Japanese) http://www.jpo.go.jp/shiryou/toukei/gyosenenji/index.html
(Status Report in Japanese and English) http://www.jpo.go.jp/english/reference_room/statusreport/index.html
II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
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 National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (the INPIT) provides the free consultation service on the procedures for industrial property rights at the Consultation Department on the second floor of the JPO office building.
Moreover, the on-line consultation service on industrial property rights is available on a 24-hour basis at http://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, 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 at: http://www.inpit.go.jp/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.
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 1,800 branches of D-terms, which are search keys to further subdivide the Japanese Design Classification mainly based on the forms of articles.
In addition, in April 2007, the JPO started using the revised Japanese Design Classification that was amended again in order to cope with design protection of graphic image designs. After this amendment another classification stage for graphic image design was added below the aforementioned minor class and broke it down from a viewpoint of intended use in April 2016.
In 2015, the JPO assigned the Japanese Design Classification and D-terms to 29,903 filed applications and about 380,000 cases of examination materials collected from foreign design gazettes, magazines, catalogues, Internet, etc.
In addition, the following information is provided.
a) 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 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.
b) The English translation of the Japanese Design Classification
The JPO has prepared an English version of the revised Japanese Design Classification in 2005, which has been posted on the JPO website since October 2006.
Other activities
Nothing in particular
III. SOURCES OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE
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 design documents in 2015:
- Published Registered Design Applications: Internet
- Decision on Appeal/Trial in Design: Internet
The following is the URL of the Published Registered Design Applications provided through the Internet.URL: https://www.publication.jpo.go.jp/ik_pub/index.action?lang=en_US
The JPO provides in Published Registered Design Applications information on reference designs which were referred to by the examiner in the examination process of each registered design.
The Published Registered Design Applications enables a search using 13 keys as search keys, including registration number, indication of articles (goods), Japanese Design Classification and D-term. The Published Registered Design Applications contains a mixed-mode type data, composed of text data and image data, thus text search using text data is available.
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
The external database is not used.
Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) and services available to external users; conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
a) Providing IP rights information via the Internet
a-1) Providing official gazettes via the Internet
Refer to 3.(1)
a-2) Japan Platform for Patent Information(J-PlatPat)
The JPO started to provide the Industrial Property Digital Library (IPDL) service through the Internet in March 1999. This service has enabled users to search IP rights information by using document numbers and classifications as search keys. This service was transferred to the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (the “INPIT”) as of October 2004, and has been operated there since.
In order to meet advancing and diversifying user needs for IP rights information, the JPO renovated the “Industrial Property Digital Library (IPDL)” and started providing the “Japan Platform for Patent Information (J-PlatPat)” in March 2015, a new service to provide IP rights information via user-friendly interface. The J-PlatPat currently stores about 110 million cases of IP rights information.
(Japanese) https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/web/all/top/BTmTopPage
(English) https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/web/all/top/BTmTopEnglishPage
The main services relating to design information provided on the J-PlatPat are as follows:
(1) Simplified Search (patent, utility model, industrial design and trademark)
(2) Design number search
(3) Searching of Design Gazettes by text search
(4) Japanese Design Classification and D-term search
(5) Searching of publicly known data on design
(6) Publicly known data on design text search
(7) Classification Lists
The Japanese Design Classification, the D-term lists and the Locarno-Japan Design Classification Cross-Reference Table, etc. are available as references.
(8) Service in English
The design number inspection, search using the Japanese Design Classification / the D-term / the Locarno Classification, and reference of the Japanese Design Classification / D-term are available.
a-3) Foreign Patent Information Service (FOPISER)
In August 2015, the JPO launched the “Foreign Patent Information Service (FOPISER)” to expeditiously provide the general users with design information obtained from foreign IP Offices through data exchange with foreign IP Offices. Design Gazettes of Russia and Taiwan are available for retrieval of document numbers using a Japanese user interface.
b) Providing JPO data
In March 1999, the JPO began providing the bibliographical and status information of the JPO to external users by organizing and converting it into a standard format with better usability. Furthermore, the service was transferred to the INPIT in October 2004, and the service is currently being provided to the external users once every week. Bibliographic data of publicly known design materials and foreign design gazettes has been available since April 2005.
c) Reference to design gazettes, etc
The INPIT has 8 access devices which is available in the Public gazettes reading room on the second floor of 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 documents
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.
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
Legal status information of applications filed in January 1990 onwards can be searched on the Japan Platform for Patent Information (J-PlatPat) by using document numbers such as application numbers, publication numbers and registration numbers. In addition, applications filed in 1989 and before can be searched if any data (e.g. publication of Gazettes, registration for establishment of rights, requests for trials/appeals) was renewed in April 1998 onwards.
Other sources
Nothing in particular
IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
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 reaching 93.5% in 2015. The JPO’s system is a comprehensive system and the data processing and search system of designs are a part of this comprehensive system. Therefore for more information on the overall system please refer to the “Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities.”
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Please refer to “Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities.”
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.
In March 2007, search functions were strengthened and reference functions were improved along with the renewal of the search server. In addition, the screen design was made more convenient through a thorough review of the user interface.
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)
Appeal/trial and court decisions 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 after January 2000.
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
(1) File building
The JPO has stored in search files the following: designs presented in magazines published in Japan and abroad, in catalogs, on home pages on the internet and elsewhere; image data (including color image data) and bibliographic data (including the Japanese Design Classification and D-term) of foreign design gazettes. 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 2015, the search files accumulated the image and bibliographic data of about 2.50 million applications and about 6.80 million publicly-known designs.
(2) Updating
In 2015, the image data and bibliographic data for 29,903 applications and approximately 380,000 examination materials for the publicly known design were added.
(3) Storage, including mass storage media
The image data is stored on RAID and the bibliographic data on a database.
(4) 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 KIPO, EUIPO, the SIPO the USPTO, and 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)
Refer to 4.(1).
Other matters
Nothing in particular
V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION
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:
- Users:
- JPO staff and general users
2. Open:
- 9:30 to 18:00
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.
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. Japan Platform for Patent Information (J-PlatPat)
The National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (the INPIT) compiles an instruction manual for how to operate and utilize various search services provided by the J-PlatPat.
URL http://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 http://www.pcinfo.jpo.go.jp/site/
Refer to 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 training seminars
Training seminars of the Japan Platform for Patent Information (J-PlatPat) were held by the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (the INPIT) for beginners of industrial property right search from individuals and SMEs (16 times in 11 major cities nationwide in FY2015).
The organization also held information sessions of the J-PlatPat by request from universities and enterprises (41 times in FY 2015).
b) Search expert training seminars
The INPIT held the following trainings.
・Search Experts Training (Industrial Design)
This seminar is intended for those who have sufficient knowledge in the Design Act while aiming at cultivating human resources capable of effectively protecting product designs by industrial design rights, and properly capturing scopes of rights after acquisition of rights by further improving the ability to conduct a design search and a prior design search (once a year).
Other activities
Nothing in particular
VI.INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION
International exchange of industrial design information in machine-readable form (e.g., Official Gazettes)
a) Sending Official Gazette on CD-ROM to overseas
In 2015, the JPO exchanged official gazettes, etc. with 56 organizations (including international organizations) in 53 nations, out of which it sent information on CD-ROM Published Registered Design Applications to 23 organizations.
The JPO discontinued sending official gazettes on DVD-ROM overseas in March 2015.
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to industrial design information
The JPO started providing the Design Gazette which carried information about registered design of Japan on a worldwide design information database, “Global Design Database” owned by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on August 1, 2015.
Assistance to developing countries
a) Activities/cooperation through voluntary contributions (Funds-in-Trust) for WIPO
(1) Training for government officials
A 2-week training related to computerization was provided in Japan in October 2015 under the cooperation with the WIPO. Trainees from 18 IP offices were invited.
http://www.training-jpo.go.jp/en/index.php/2963
(2) Capacity building for effective innovation support services with a focus on access to and utilization of
technical database.
A regional seminar was held in Malaysia in December 2014 to provide ASEAN countries with a place to discuss a roadmap for implementation of innovation support services. In March 2015, a training seminar was held in Mongolia by the Technology & Innovation Support Center (TISC).
(3) Data capture, digitization support, workshop at IP offices of African countries/regions
A project on data capture was conducted in Nigeria. Also, in Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), projects of digitizing domestic and foreign fillings to make it possible to manage them were conducted. In addition, in Namibia and others, workshops for discussing management method using the IPAS were held. Furthermore, in Zimbabwe, a workshop for activation, collation and exchange of IP information was held.
b) Cooperation using other organizations for developing countries
Nothing in particular
Other activities
Nothing in particular
VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS
- The expression “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.