Trilateral Heads of Offices Meeting and Meeting with Trilateral Industry Were Held

On March 2nd, the commissioners of the Japan Patent Office (JPO), US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and European Patent Office (EPO) held the 36th Trilateral heads of offices meeting in Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture. At the meeting, the heads discussed a variety of topics including the harmonization of the patent systems of each country, a Trilateral comparative study of inventions related to software, the 4th Industrial Revolution and new technologies, quality improvement issues related to the PCT, and efforts on standard essential patents. As part of the conclusion of the meeting, the heads agreed to continue discussing issues related to problems of standard essential patents among the IP5 which includes the JPO, USPTO, EPO, State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) and Korean Intellectual Patent Office (KIPO).

Further, the JPO held meetings with the EPO and Business Europe individually. At the meeting with the EPO, the participants discussed the utilization of AI to help with work at the Patent Offices, quality improvement issues related to the PCT, and determinations as to standard essentiality. Also, at the meeting with Business Europe, the participants discussed efforts related to standard essential patents and the protection of inventions related to software.

The next Trilateral heads of offices meeting will be organized by USPTO, and held in spring, 2019.