1.Patent Fees (per year)

1st to 3rd year to be paid at registration of a patent: 2,100 JPY (basic fee) and 200 JPY per claim —> 4,300 JPY (basic fee) and 300 JPY per claim

4th to 6th year: 6,400 JPY (basic fee) and 500 JPY per claim —> 10,300 JPY (basic fee) and 800 JPY per claim
7th to 9th year: 19,300 JPY (basic fee) and 1,500 JPY per claim —> 24,800 JPY (basic fee) and 1,900 JPY per claim
10th to 25th year: 55,400 JPY (basic fee) and 4,300 JPY per claim —> 59,400 JPY (basic fee) and 4,600 JPY per claim

2.Trademark registration fee

28,200 JPY per class —> 32,900 per class

3.Renewal registration fee

38,800 JPY per class —> 43,600 per class

If you intend to maintain your patent for a long time, or if you are able to pay the registration or renewal fees for your trade marks before the end of March this year, we recommend that you pay these fees before the end of March this year.

This brochure introduces a revision of the Design Act in Japan.
https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/resources/report/sonota-info/document/pamphlet/isho_kaisei_en.pdf

扩张保护对象（建筑和室内设计）

（1） 建筑的外观
根据现行法律，“动产”不包括建筑物；因此，它们不受外观设计专利的保护（第2（1）条）。
然而，近年来，越来越多的企业透过独特的建筑物外观，试图吸引更多顾客，或用以打造自己的品牌。因此，透过外观设计专利加以保护建筑物的外观的需求也随之增加。在美国和欧洲，建筑物的外观已受到外观设计专利的保护。
因此，本修正案在“外观设计专利”的定义中增加了“建筑物形状”，建筑物的外观设计也受到外观设计专利的保护。

（2） 室内设计（新外观设计法第8-2条）
现行法律采用的一个物品申请一个外观设计专利。且每件外观设计专利需分别申请（亦即，一件申请案中，不得于一幅图中同时申请多项外观设计专利）（第7条）。除非该外观设计专利为“一套物品的设计”（第8条）。如果多个物品可“统一为一个整体”，则可以将其作为单一外观设计专利提出申请注册。
近年来，越来越多的企业通过在店内装修中创造独特的品牌价值来提供服务和销售产品。
为保护具有外观设计专利的店铺室内设计，在本次修法时，将店铺内设备、装修（室内）等组成物品有关的设计列为外观设计专利的保护对象，可以以单项外观设计专利提出申请注册。但是，整个室内设计需具有“创造统一的美学”。

For Expansion of the protectable Design (Architecture and Interior design)

(1) Protection of Building Exterior
Under the current law, buildings are not included in “articles (= movables)”; therefore, they are not protected by design rights (Article 2 (1)).
However, in recent years, there is an increasing number of companies which have been trying to improve the ability to attract customers and build their own brands with an unique appearance.  Thus, the demand has occurred for the exterior of buildings to be protected by design as well.
In the US and Europe, the exterior of buildings is also protected by design rights.
Hence, the definition of “design” was added to “shape of building …” in this amendment, and the exterior design of the building was also protected by design rights.

(2) Protection of Interior Design (Article 8-2 of the New Design Act)
The current law adopts the idea that a design is established on one article.  In addition, the principle of one application for a single design is stipulated that a design registration application must be individually made for each design (an application must not be filed with multiple designs in one drawing) (Article 7).  An exception to this is the “design for a set of articles” system (Article 8), it is said that it can be filed and registered as a single design, in case multiple articles are considered to be “unified as a whole”.
In recent years, there has been an increasing number of cases in which companies provide services and sell products by creating unique brand values in their interior decoration of stores.
In order to protect the interior design of such stores with design rights, in this amendment, designs related to article which composes the equipment and the decoration (interior) inside the store can be applied and also registered as single design.  However, the design can be approved only “when a unified aesthetic is created” as the entire interior.

Regarding the trademark application, the JPO announced that the operation called “Fast Track Examination” will be changed for applications.

Below are the details of  changes.

FYI, if an application is not subject to fast-track examination, it takes 12 months on average!

[BFORE]
The JPO starts the examination 2 months earlier than the normal application. (10 months on average)

[AFTER]
The JPO starts the examination in about 6 months from an application date.

This change is effective from an application on February 1, 2020.

内阁批准关于「专利法等部分修订法案的实施日期」的内阁命令。

2019年11月1日，内阁批准内阁命令，规定专利法等部分修订法案（以下简称“修订法案”）的实施日期。修订法案补充条款第一条规定实施日期为2020年4月1日。

內閣批准關於「專利法等部分修訂法案的實施日期」的內閣命令

2019年11月1日，內閣批准內閣命令，規定專利法等部分修訂法案（以下簡稱”修訂法案”）的實施日期。修訂法案補充條款第一條規定實施日期為2020年4月1日。