Handbook for PCT International Search and Preliminary Examination in the Japan Patent Office
Time：2025-07-07
Publication Date：2025-07-07
1. What’s “Handbook for PCT International Search and Preliminary Examination in the Japan Patent Office”?
Due to the steadily increasing number of international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), it was necessary to clarify its practices and procedures in the JPO acting as the International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authority under the PCT.
Based on this, the JPO first created the “Handbook for PCT International Search and Preliminary Examination in the Japan Patent Office” in October 2015. This Handbook is designed to improve the transparency and predictability of searches and examinations conducted by the JPO acting as the International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authority.
Procedures for international applications under the PCT are stipulated in the PCT (Treaty), Regulations under the PCT, and other PCT documents, as well as in Japan’s national laws such as the Act on International Applications under the PCT.
The objective of the Handbook is to explain the specific practices and procedures conducted by the JPO acting as the International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authority. The Handbook also cites relevant provisions in the PCT documents and, if applicable, Japan’s laws.
2. Revision history
| Date | Brief description of revision |
|---|---|
| May 2025 | Appendix B was updated to align with WIPO Standards ST.14 |
| March 2025 | Editorial and minor changes were made due to the start to act as a competent ISA for Uruguay. |
| July 2024 | More references to the “PCT International Search and Preliminary Examination Guidelines” were added. |
| January 2024 | Forms were updated, such as the International Search Report (due to revision of the forms to correspond to the new WIPO Standards ST.26 for sequence listing.) |
| July 2022 | Editorial and minor changes were made due to revision of “PCT Regulations” and “PCT Administrative Instructions” concerning nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence listing |
| June 2022 | Editorial and minor changes were made due to the start to act as a competent ISA and IPEA for Saudi Arabia, and some errors were corrected. |
| April 2022 | Editorial and minor changes were made due to clarification for Exclusions from Search/Examination |
| July 2021 | Editorial and minor changes were made due to the start to act as a competent ISA and IPEA for India. |
| December 2020 | Editorial and minor changes were made due to changes in the method of interview, etc. |
| July 2020 | Editorial and minor changes were made due to revision of “PCT Regulations” and “PCT Administrative Instructions”. |
| October 2018 | Editorial and minor changes were made due to revision of “PCT International Search and Preliminary Examination Guidelines”, etc. |
| April 2018 | Some errors were corrected. |
| August 2017 |
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| January 2017 |
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| April 2016 | Amounts of additional fees and competences of Offices/Authorities were updated. |
| January 2016 | Forms were updated, such as the International Search Report; references to the “PCT International Search and Preliminary Examination Guidelines” were revised; and errors were corrected. |
| October 2015 | First edition was released. |
Source: https://www.jpo.go.jp//e/system/patent/pct/chosa-shinsa/pct_handbook.html
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