タグ: Annual report

JPO Annual Report 2021

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The Japan Patent Office (JPO) released its 2021 Annual Report (in Japanese only) on July 14, 2021, which contain informative figures and statistics relating to IP applications in Japan and on all other activities of the JPO.

Trademark applications filed in 2020

Presumably because of the prolonged pandemic, the number of trademark applications in Japan decreased to 181,072 by 5 % in 2020.

TM application via Madrid Protocol also decreased to 17,924 by 7.8% compared to the previous year. Direct application decreased to 163,148 by 4.7 %.

Pendency time for trademark prosecution

Regardless of the decreased number of trademark applications, first office action pendency, the average number of months from the date of application filing to the JPO examiner’s first office action, was getting longer for the last five years in a row. First Action Pendency was 10.0 months in 2020.

Total pendency, the average number of months from date of filing to registration in 2020 was extended to 11.2 months, two months longer than 2019 (9.3 months).

TM applications to JPO by Foreign Company/ Non-resident

45,697 trademark applications, which account for 25.2 % of the total, were filed by foreign company or non-resident in 2020. The ratio was increased by 3.3 % since last year.

The statistic shows China was leading the ranking with about 18,181 trademark applications in 2020, increased by 45 % from the previous year.

JPO Annual Report 2019

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The Japan Patent Office released its 2019 Annual Report (in Japanese only) on July 12, 2019, which contain informative figures and statistics relating to IP applications in Japan and on all other activities of the JPO.

Trademark Applications in Japan

The number of trademark applications in Japan has increased recent years.
In 2018, 184,483 trademark applications were filed to the JPO. TM application via Madrid Protocol increased to 17,802 by 2.7% compared to the previous year. Direct application decreased to 166,681 by 4 %.

Trademark Application to JPO by Year

Timeline for Trademark Registration

Due to the recent increase, timeline for trademark prosecution, i.e., the average time between filing and first office action, was getting longer for the last four years in a row. Trademark Average First Action Pendency was 6.3 months in 2017. In the meantime, the pendency in 2018 exceeded 7.9 months on average. Accordingly, the average total pendency period for trademark registration was 9.3 months in 2018.

Timeline for trademark registration

Application to JPO by Foreign Company/ Non-resident

39,209 trademark applications, which account for 21.3% of the total, were filed by foreign company or non-resident in 2018. The number was increased by 8.4% since last year.

TM Application to JPO by Foreign applicants

The statistic shows Europe was leading the ranking with about 10,000 trademark applications in 2017.
In 2018, China took the leading place eventually.

First National Trademark Registration in Japan

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According to “Annual Report 2018” released by the Japan Patent Office (JPO) on June 28, 2018, total number of trademark application filed to JPO in 2017 was 190,939, increased by 18 % compared to the previous year.

It is currently possible to register a trademark in two routes: designating Japan under the Madrid Protocol (international trademark registration); or, directly filing Japanese trademark application to JPO.

In 2017, the Madrid route increased to 17,328 by 25.2 % compared to the previous year. Direct route increased to 173,611 by 17.3 % as well.

Due to the increase, the period from the filing date to the date of issuing the first notice of examination result, i.e., the first action (FA) pendency, was accordingly getting longer. FA pendency for the previous three years was less than five months (4.1 months in 2014, 4.3 months in 2015, 4.9 months in 2016). In the meantime, the period in 2017 exceeded six months.

Annual Report has reference to first national trademark registration with an aim to look back on long history of the Intellectual Property System in Japan,

First Trademark Act was executed in October 1, 1884, which was 17 years after the Samurai era ended and Japan has driven toward modernization. First national trademark registration (see below) was registered in 1885. The mark was filed in the name of Yuuki Hirai (individual in Kyoto) by designating medicines.