: Your Action : Japan Patent Office (Japanese Government) Action
: Your Action : Japan Patent Office (Japanese Government) Action
COUNTRY
(Time limit of enter national phase from priority date)
European Patent Office
(31 months)
(a) Government fees: $6,000
(b) Local agent fees: expensive
(c) Translation costs: The cost greatly varies among the partners who asked for translation.
Example
Government fees of UK: $500
Government fees of Germany: $700
Individual country
in Europe
Example;
UK (31months)
Germany (30 months)
(1) France does not admit direct entry to national phase. Therefore, if you want to obtain the right in France, apply to the EPO including other European countries.
(2) Individual application is effective when applying within 2 countries such as only UK and Germany etc.
China
(30 months)
Approximately Cost (US dollar)
(Depends on the number of claims, the number of characters in the application documents etc.)
Tips (Rationalization measures)
(Inter national application filed 12 months after priority date)
(a) Government fees: $1,000
(b) Local agent fees: $1,500
(c) Translation costs:
(1) It is estimated that the difference in fee between agents is small because there is a standard fee list for reference in Chinese patent attorney world.
(2) Translation is necessary to enter national phase. Examination is conducted in Chinese. Professional patent translation is necessary.
(3) Find local agent with low cost including translation.
(4) For agent search in China ⇒ 专利代理管理系统 (cnipa.gov.cn)
Japan
(30 months)
(1) File for national phase entry
(a) Government fees: $130
(b) Local agent fees: $500
(c) Translation costs:
(2) After request for examination
(a) Government fees: $2,000
(b) Local agent fees: $1,500
Canada
(30 months)
Australia
(31 months)
(1) You may request for examination 18 months after from filing document for entering national phase in Japan. Separate filing document for entering and requesting for examination.
(2) Translation is necessary to enter national phase. Examination is conducted in Japanese. Professional patent translation is necessary.
(3) Find local agent with low cost including translation.
(4) For agent search in Japan ⇒ Japan Patent Attorney Search
(1) File for national phase entry
(a) Government fees: $340
(b) Local agent fees:
(2) After request for examination
(a) Government fees: $680
(b) Local agent fees:
(1) You may request for examination 30 months after from filing document for entering national phase in Japan. Separate filing document for entering and requesting for examination.
(2) Translation is not necessary.
(1) You may request for examination 41 months after from filing document for entering national phase in Japan. Separate filing document for entering and requesting for examination. (The Australian Government may instruct you to request examination earlier.)
(2) Translation is not necessary.
India
(31 months)
Korea
(31 months)
Tips on each country
(a)File documents for entering the national phase before the time limit
You need to file the documents for entering the national phase to each country where you want to obtain a patent before the expiration of the time limit. (Official information for the time limit of entering each country is here.)
(b)Separate filing the documents for entering and requesting for examination
You may request for examination 17 months after or more from filing document for entering the national phase in Japan, Canada, Australia, India, Korea, etc. Merits of late requests for examination are as follows.
-
You have to expense for an examination. You can decide whether to request it by looking at the situation after 17 months or more.
-
You may delay the examination in these countries over your home country. You may reuse the contents you explained to your home country's examiner in these countries.
(c) Translation
In China, Japan, and South Korea, you will need to use a patent translation expert to translate your application document, as the examiner in these countries examines your application in the official language of these countries. You should find a low-cost translation by a patent translation expert. If you have a chance to file a new PCT application in the future, you should make an effort to reduce the number of English words in your application documents the next time.
(d) Check the agent fee
-
You should check the market price of each country's agent fee yourself. You can use the information to negotiate with your US agent.
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You can know them by using free estimate websites such as ip-coster.com. If you use us to enter China and Japan, your expenses are less because we receive all your payments without being drawn to those websites.
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You should check whether the fees include the office action fee for a substantive matter because the office action is likely required.
(e) Each country
-
Official information for government fees and procedures of each country is here.
-
See the table bellow for tips on each country.
COUNTRY
(The time limit of entering National Phase from the priority date)
European Patent Office
(31 months)
(From filing to registration)
(a) Government fees: $6,000
(b) Local agent fees: expensive
(c) Translation costs: The cost greatly varies among the partners who asked for translation.
(1) You can file the documents for entering the national phase in English.
(2) Since the translation into each language is necessary after the examination, it is conceivable to use a person who is not so professional in patent translation for cost reduction (example: the description is not so important and has many characters).
(3) Find low cost local agent.
(From filing to registration)
Example
Government fees of UK: $500
Government fees of Germany: $700
Directly to an individual European country
Example;
UK (31 months)
Germany (30 months)
(1) France does not admit direct application. Therefore, if you want to obtain the right in France, apply to the EPO include other European countries.
(2) When applying to 2 or fewer countries, direct filing to each country is efficient.
China
(30 months)
Approximately Cost (US dollar)
(Depends on the number of claims, the number of characters in the application documents, etc.)
Tips
(When an international application using a one-year priority period)
(From filing to registration)
(a) Government fees: $1,000
(b) Local agent fees: $2,000
(c) Translation costs:
(1) We estimate that the difference in fees between agents is little because there is a standard fee list for reference in the Chinese patent attorney world.
(2) You will need to use a patent translation expert to translate your application document, as the examiner examines your application in Chinese.
(3) Find a local agent with low costs includes the translation.
(4) For agent search in China ⇒ 专利代理管理系统 (cnipa.gov.cn)
Japan
(30 months)
(1) File for national phase entry
(a) Government fees: $130
(b) Local agent fees: $600
(c) Translation costs:
(2) After request for examination
(a) Government fees: $1,000
(b) Local agent fees: $2,000
Canada
(30 months)
Australia
(31 months)
(1) You should request for examination within 18 months after filling documents for entering the national phase in Japan. Request examination as late as possible after entering the national phase if you need.
(2) You will need to use a patent translation expert to translate your application document, as the examiner examines your application in Japanese.
(3) Find a local agent with low cost including translation.
(4) For agent search in Japan ⇒ Japan Patent Attorney Search
(1) File for national phase entry
(a) Government fees: $340
(b) Local agent fees:
(2) After request for examination
(a) Government fees: $680
(b) Local agent fees:
(1) You should request for examination within 30 months after filing documents for entering the national phase in Canada. Request examination as late as possible after entering the national phase if you need.
(2) Translation is not necessary.
(1) File for national phase entry
(a) Government fees: $300
(b) Local agent fees:
(2) After request for examination
(a) Government fees: $400
(b) Local agent fees:
(1) You should request for examination within 41 months after filing documents for entering the national phase in Canada. Request examination as late as possible after entering the national phase if you need. (The Australian Government may instruct you to request examination earlier.)
(2) Translation is not necessary.
India
(31 months)
(1) File for national phase entry
(a) Government fees: $330
(b) Local agent fees:
(2) After request for examination
(a) Government fees: $270
(b) Local agent fees:
(1) You should request for examination within 17 months after filing documents for entering the national phase in India. Request examination as late as possible after entering the national phase if you need.
(2) Translation is not necessary.
Korea
(31 months)
(1) File for national phase entry
(a) Government fees: $330
(b) Local agent fees:
(2) After request for examination
(a) Government fees: $270
(b) Local agent fees:
(1) You should request for examination within 17 months after filing documents for entering the national phase in Korea. Request examination as late as possible after entering the national phase if you need.
(2) You will need to use a patent translation expert to translate your application document, as the examiner examines your application in Korean.
(3) Find a local agent with low cost including translation.
(4) For agent search in Korea ⇒ KPAA