In a statement signed in Geneva on 24 September, both offices recognised the need for more effective worksharing and agreed to co-operate to the maximum extent possible oninitiatives such as the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) and Strategic Handling of Applications for Rapid Examination (SHARE). They also plan to co-operate on examiner exchange programmes, the development of a hybrid classification system and a common search database, utilisation of the PCT system as a global infrastructure, harmonisation of substantive patent laws and improving the quality of patent applications.

For more information see http://www.jpo.go.jp/cgi/linke.cgi?url=/torikumi_e/puresu_e/mou_uspto2008.htm

The recent move towards e-government in Japan led the JPO to issue its draft Business and System Optimisation Plan in August for public comment by 5 September 2008. Aiming at creating a "smarter and leaner" search system and reducing operating costs, the plan acknowledges the growing importance of Chinese and Korean patent data and foresees multilingual translation functions for improving access to non-English data. The redesign of the JPO's search systems (including the public services) is expected to be completed in 2013/2014. The draft plan is available at: http://www.jpo.go.jp/cgi/link.cgi?url=/iken/iken_systemsaitekika.htm (Japanese only)

Ever since 1984, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) has been pursuing its "Paperless Office" plan and in 1990 was the first patent office in the world to accept online filings for patent and utility model applications. In the years that followed, the JPO also succeeded in offering fully online processes for design and trade mark applications, as well as appeal proceedings and international applications. The move towards e-government in Japan in more recent years led to the JPO to issue its draft "Business & System Optimisation Plan", this August. The JPO now invites public comments on the draft, which is available on the internet. The plan takes into account the JPO's need to perform speedy and top-quality patent examination as well as the importance of patent information in industry's and academia's research and business strategy planning. In view of the increasing flood of information, the JPO's plan aims at creating a "smarter and leaner" search system as well as reducing operating costs. Quoting WIPO's Patent Report 2007, the plan acknowledges the growing importance of Chinese and Korean patent data and foresees multi-lingual translation functions for improving access to non-English data in order to foster a global approach to patent information.

According to the time schedule published in the draft, the redesign of the JPO's search systems (including the public services) is expected to be completed in 2013/2014.

The JPO's draft "Business & System Optimisation Plan" is available at: http://www.jpo.go.jp/cgi/link.cgi?url=/iken/iken_systemsaitekika.htm (Japanese only)

As of 3 July 2008, the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) PATENTSCOPE® database will be searchable not only in English, German, French, Spanish and Russian, but will also offer keyword searches in Japanese. The descriptions and claims of PCT applications filed in Japanese and published on or after 3 July 2008 will be searchable with Japanese keywords. For PCT publications from 2004 onwards, the Japanese titles and abstracts will be keyword searchable. For more details, please see: http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/news/pctdb/2008/news_0010.html

The Japanese and UK patent offices started accepting requests for PPH participation from applicants in both countries on 1 July 2007. The pilot programme is planned to run for one year. Details can be found at www.jpo.go.jp/cgi/linke.cgi?url=/torikumi_e/puresu_e/press_highway_e.htm