For International Applications or subsequent designations filed after April 1, 2023, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) will no longer utilize its current payment system consisting of two-part individual fees. In accordance with the revision of the Trademark Act, as of April 1, 2023 the JPO will shift to a payment system wherein all fees must be paid at the time of filing.

The JPO has also adopted a new policy whereby the certified copy of a registration decision is electronically sent to the either the IR applicant or their International Bureau (IB) representative via the IB (but not to the local representative in Japan).

These changes will apply to applications or subsequent designations whose filing date is on or after April 1, 2023.

For further information, see Information Notice No. 8/2023 and the JPO website.