The US cooperates with Japan in order to use Patent Classification and Design Classification effectively

It has been decided that search index unique to Japan is incorporated into the U.S. patent classification around the end of June 2016 in technical fields where patent classifications used at the Japan Patent Office are identical with those used at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Patent classification is assigned to each patent publication in order to distinguish the technical field, to which the invention of patent application is belonging. The USPTO and the JPO have been using patent classifications so far, which are different from each other.

However, since the Examiners at the JPO and USPTO start to use the identical search index in order to conduct search for patent publications in near future, it is expected that the efficiency of searching prior art publication will be improved even when the foreign applicant files patent applications with the JPO.

In addition, it is expected that comparison table is prepared, which enable us to compare design classifications of the USPTO with those of the JPO.

Reported by Shinji DOI, Patent Attorney