15 March, 2019
On November 30, 2018, Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association signed an MOU on the patent dossier information exchange between Taiwan and Japan.
Through the cooperation between the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office and the Japan Patent Office, a one-stop platform will be established to provide documents on patent examination of both offices. Among the foreign applicants, Japan is the top applicant by nationality.
In 2017, there were 13,850 patent applications filed by Japanese applicants, in which 12,497 were for invention patent. Patent applications filed by Taiwan applicants in Japan are closed to 3,000 annually.
Once the patent dossier information exchange between Taiwan and Japan becomes effective, it will be more convenient for the patent examiners of both countries to refer to each other’s examination history, thus improving the quality and speed of the examination, making the treatment of applicants’ patent rights more consistent in both countries, and increasing the quality and stability of granting patent rights by the two countries.
It is expected that the service will be officially provided to the public starting January 2021, when the system establishments and related tests are complete.
For further information, please contact:
Kevin Wei, , Tsar & Tsai Law Firm
law@TsarTsai.com.tw
