Top of Notices Top of Notices   (398)  December 29, 2020 US PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE Print This Notice 1481 CNOG  2815 

PCT, International Applications Referenced Items (394, 395, 396, 397, 398, 399, 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419)
(398)       Notice Concerning the Japan Patent Office's Action
               as an International Searching Authority and
            International Preliminary Examining Authority for
                International Applications Received by the
                United States Patent and Trademark Office

   The arrangement under which the Japan Patent Office (JPO) will act as an
International Searching Authority (ISA) and an International Preliminary
Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for
international applications filed with the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) as a Receiving Office (RO/US) has been renewed
with modifications. The modified arrangement is effective for the five year
period from July 01, 2018, to June 30, 2023. The condition in the previous
arrangement that the JPO will only act as an ISA for applications in which
the claims are directed to the field of green technology as defined by
certain International Patent Classification classes has been removed.

   The modified arrangement is the result of the "Modification to the
Arrangement between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the
Japan Patent Office Concerning Action of the Japan Patent Office as an
International Searching Authority and Preliminary Examining Authority under
the Patent Cooperation International Treaty for International Applications
Received by the United States Patent and Trademark Office" signed on
June 29, 2018, by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property
and Director of the USPTO and by the Commissioner of the JPO.

   Under the modified arrangement, the JPO may act as an ISA under the PCT
for international applications filed with the RO/US provided that: (1) the
applications are submitted in the English language; and (2) the JPO has not
received more than 8,400 international applications from the USPTO during
the 5-year period from July 01, 2018, to June 30, 2023, and not more than
300 applications per quarter during the first and second years, and not
more than 500 applications per quarter during the third, fourth, and fifth
years. The JPO will also act as an IPEA if these two requirements are met,
and the JPO acted as the ISA.

   The USPTO will continue to collect the search fees from the applicants,
and will transmit the search fees to the JPO. The search fee for the JPO
acting as an ISA for international applications received by the USPTO can
be found on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) website at:
http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/pct/en/fees. Any other fees necessary
for search or examination or incidental thereto will continue to be paid by
applicants directly to the JPO.

   The newly concluded Arrangement between the USPTO and the JPO follows.

August 7, 2018                                                 ANDREI IANCU
                  Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and
                  Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

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