Novelty Grace Period in Japan Extended to 1 Year －Applicable to Disclosure on and after Dec. 9, 2017－

Abstract: The novelty grace period has been extended from 6 months to 1 year according to the Japanese Patent Law, Utility Model and Design Laws 2018 as partially revised. These revised provisions entered into force as of June 9, 2018, and cover cases where the first disclosure of an invention (a design) was made on and after December 9, 2017, and an application therefor filed on and after June 9, 2018.
This article overviews the grace period system in Japan with the revision.