Searching for Patents, Utility Models, Designs, Trademarks

Please note that since it is not possible to obtain a patent for any invention that either has already been filed or has already become known to the public, it ... Skiptomaincontent. JAPANPATENTOFFICE Japanese OpinionBox HowtouseJPOwebsite Access Textsize Menu Contentsmenu Home>FAQs>ListofFAQs>SearchingforPatentsUtilityModelsDesignsTrademarks Maincontentstartshere. SearchingforPatents,UtilityModels,Designs,Trademarks 5-1.ShouldIsearchforpriorartbeforeapplyingforaPatent? 5-2.IsthereanydatabasethatIcanusetosearchforpatents,utilitymodels,designs,ortrademarks? 5-3.Isitpossibletoknowifmyinventioncanbepatented,beforeIfile? 5-4.DoestheJapanPatentOfficeprovideEnglishtranslationsofJapanesepatentsorutilitymodels? 5-5.HowcanIfindinformationonthelegalstatusofpatents? 5-6.HowdoIfindciteddocumentsontheJ-PlatPat?  5-1.ShouldIsearchforpriorartbeforeapplyingforaPatent? Ifyouintendtofileapatentapplication,youareadvisedtosearchforpriorartrelevanttoyourinventionthroughapatentinformationdatabaseorhavepriorartsearchedbyapatentinformationsearchcompanyinyourcountrybeforefilinganapplication. Ifyourinventionhaslostitsnovelty(andisalreadypubliclyknown)atthetimeofthefilingoftheapplication,youcannotobtainapatentfortheinvention(Article29(1)ofthePatentAct).Almostallinventionsforwhichpatentapplicationsarefiledwithapatentofficeintheworldarepublishedinpatentgazettes.Apatentexaminersearchesthosegazettesandotherpatentinformationwhenhe/sheperformsthesubstantiveexaminationforyourpatentapplication.Ifhe/shefindsanotherinventionalreadypublishedinthosegazettesidenticaltoyourinvention,yourinventionisdeterminedtobeapublicly-knownart,anditisoftenthecasethatyourpatentapplicationisrefusedbytheexaminer. “ThePatentAct”(Externallink)inEnglishisavailable. “TheJapanPlatformforPatentInformation(J-PlatPat)”(Externallink)onthewebsiteoftheNationalCenterforIndustrialPropertyInformationandTraining(INPIT)isaservicetoprovidepatentinformationforfreeofcharge.  5-2.IsthereanydatabasethatIcanusetosearchforpatents,utilitymodels,designs,ortrademarks? Yes,thereis.Asearchservice“J-PlatPat”whichisrunbytheNationalCenterforIndustrialPropertyInformationandTraining(INPIT)providesdatabasesofpublicationsofpatent,utilitymodel,designandtrademark.Youcanalsoseelegalstatusofeachapplicationthroughthisservice. IfyouhaveanyquestionsonhowtousetheJ-PlatPat,pleaseclickonthe“Helplist”whichislocatedatthetopofapageforeachdatabasetovisittheHelpPage,[email protected]. Pleaseaccess“theJ-PlatPat”(Externallink)  5-3.Isitpossibletoknowifmyinventioncanbepatented,beforeIfile? Examinersaretheonlyoneswhocandeterminewhetheryourpatentapplicationcanbepatented.Sounlessyourinventionundergoessubstantiveexamination,itwillnotbepossibleforyoutoknowbeforehandwhetheryourpatentapplicationcanbepatented.(Thesameappliestoregisteringindustrialdesignsandtrademarks.)Inaddition,theJapanPatentOfficedoesnotofferanyadviceorcommentsbeforehandinregardtothepossibilityofinventionsbeingpatentedordesignsortrademarksbeingregistered. Ifyouintendtofileapatentapplication,wehighlyrecommendyoufamiliarizeyourselfwiththefilingproceduresandwiththeJ-PlatPat(JapanPlatformforPatentInformation)databasetofindouthowtosearchforpriorartrelevanttoyourinvention.Itisalsorecommendedthatyouconsultsearchagenciesinyourcountrytogatherinformationonpriorart,beforefilinganapplication. Pleasenotethatsinceitisnotpossibletoobtainapatentforanyinventionthateitherhasalreadybeenfiledorhasalreadybecomeknowntothepublic,itisimportantthatyouconductapriorartsearch. Youcanvisit“theJ-PlatPat”  5-4.DoestheJapanPatentOfficeprovideEnglishtranslationsofJapanesepatentsorutilitymodels? Yes,　itdoes. MachinetranslatedpublicationsareavailableintheJapanPlatformforPatentInformation(J-PlatPat)databasefreeofcharge.Toaccessmachinetranslatedpublications,pleasefollowtheinstructionsbelow. 【Inthecaseofsearchbypublicationnumber】 1.Access“theJ-PlatPatmainpage”(Externallink) 2.Next,clickonthe“Patent/UtilityModelNumberSearch/OPD”link. 3.Toconductasearch,select‘Numbertype’fromthepull-downmenuandthenenterdocumentnumberyouwouldliketosearch.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsonhowtousethisdatabase,youcangoto“Helplist”toseeanoutlineofthedatabase. Note:Thecoveredrangeyearofpublicationsdiffersdependingonthetypeofpublication.Also,machinetranslatedpublicationsareavailable.Inaddition,thepublicationsofgrantedpatentsandgrantedutilitymodelsarealsoincludedinthisdatabase. 【Inthecaseofsearchbykeyword】 1.Access“theJ-PlatPatmainpage”(Externallink) 2.Next,clickonthe“Patent/UtilityModelSearch”link. 3.Toconductasearch,select‘Searchitem’fromthepull-downmenuandthenenterkeywordyouwouldliketosearch.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsonhowtousethisdatabase,youcangoto“Helplist”toseeanoutlineofthedatabase. Note:Thecoveredrangeyearofpublicationsdiffersdependingonthetypeofpublication.Also,machinetranslatedpublicationsareavailable.Inaddition,thepublicationsofgrantedpatentsandgrantedutilitymodelsarealsoincludedinthisdatabase.  5-5.HowcanIfindinformationonthelegalstatusofpatents? InformationonthelegalstatusofpatentsisavailableontheJ-PlatPat.Youcansearchpatentdocumentsforinformationonthelegalstatus. PleaserefertoFAQ5-4:"DoestheJapanPatentOfficeprovideEnglishtranslationsofJapanesepatentsorutilitymodels?" Thefollowingshowsthesearchresultsin“Patent/UtilityModelNumberSearch/OPD”.Thebuttontofindinformationonthelegalstatusislocatedontherightofthescreen“Details”.  5-6.HowdoIfindciteddocumentsontheJ-PlatPat? TheJ-PlatPatprovidespatentdocumentsissuedbytheJPO.Pleasereferto“theJ-PlatPathelppagefortheyear-by-yearrangeofstoreddata”(Externallink) YoucanalsorefertoFAQ5-4:"DoestheJapanPatentOfficeprovideEnglishtranslationsofJapanesepatentsorutilitymodels?" IfyouhaveanydifficultiesinusingtheJ-PlatPat,youcancontacttheJ-PlatPatHelpdeskatthefollowinge-mailaddress.helpdesk@j-platpat.inpit.go.jp Topofpage Links SiteMap PrivacyPolicy AboutJPOwebsite ContactUs Address:3-4-3Kasumigaseki,Chiyoda-kuTokyo100-8915,Japan Copyright©JapanPatentoffice.AllRightsReserved.