IP information

JPO announces special measures for those affected by COVID-19

The Japan Patent Office (JPO) announced special measures for cases where applicants cannot meet designated deadlines or statutory deadlines due to COVID-19. According to the announcement, if an applicant cannot meet a deadline, the applicant can still take an action together with a statement explaining the reasons why the applicant could not meet the deadline. The JPO states in the announcement that the action taken by the applicant will be considered to be valid if the JPO finds the treatment necessary. The specific actions for which the special measures are available are listed in the JPO's site.

Please note however that the JPO does not define or clarify what reasons or circumstances are eligible for the special measures. Since it is difficult to understand to what extent the measures are favorably applied, we strongly recommend that you should take the necessary actions within the designated deadlines or the statutory deadlines without relying on the special measures, if possible at all.

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