Handling of Procedures Affected by the "Emergency Declaration" at the Japan Patent Office (the “JPO”)

The JPO has announced "Handling of Procedures Affected by COVID-19 Coronavirus" on its website below before the Emergency Declaration in Japan was issued on April 7, 2020.

　"Handling of Procedures Affected by COVID-19 Coronavirus” on the JPO website:
　https://www.jpo.go.jp/news/koho/info/covid19_tetsuzuki_eikyo.html

Since we confirmed to a person in charge of JPO concerning the handling procedures affected by the Emergency Declaration, we inform you the followings:

　-Procedures affected by the Emergency Declaration are also included in "Handling of Procedures Affected by COVID-19 Coronavirus;”

　-Even if a staff member of a patent attorney’s office or a company has overdued a deadline for procedures such as intermediate processing due to staying home by the Emergency Declaration, procedures will be considered to be valid by submitting an explanation letter; and

　-The JPO will flexibly handle even if procedures affected by the Emergency Declaration.

We will try to file procedures to the JPO as soon as possible to be in time for a deadline.
If you have any requests regarding the above, please contact our staff member by email.