On October 1 the JPO launched a pilot version of its super accelerated scheme to process patents more quickly than under the existing accelerated system.
On the same day, Keio University in Tokyo filed a request using the new scheme for examination of a patent entitled Electrochemical Analysis Method Using Boron Doped Electroconductive Diamond Electrode.
Kenichi Hatori, director of the intellectual property centre at Keio University, told
Managing IP that he was “a little surprised” at the speed with which the patent was granted. He said that the university had decided to ask for super accelerated examination because the patent was going to be transferred to a company so “we wanted to confirm that a patent would be granted”.
He said there was no need to pay an extra fee above that required for the accelerated examination, but that the application has to fulfil the same conditions as for accelerated examination.
The JPO introduced the accelerated examination system in 1986. An applicant or licensee has to be exploiting the invention or has to do so within six months and to have filed corresponding applications in another jurisdiction. They also need to submit a prior art report and comparative description.
This patent application was filed in October 2007 in the US and Japan using the PCT. In Japan a patent applicant can defer substantive examination by up to three years.
“It is important for companies or people who have many patents that can get an examination result and the patent right as soon as possible after we make the request for examination,” Hatori said.
