June issue [General] Newsletter

FY2024 Survey Results on Technology Trends in Patent Applications by Field

The Japan Patent Office selects technological themes that are expected to develop in the future, focusing on fields that are expected to create new markets and fields that should be promoted as national policies, and conducts surveys of technological trends in patent applications.

Patent information is the latest technical information and rights information related to the results of research and development at companies, universities, etc. By analyzing the number of inventions in a certain technical field by nationality/region or by applicant, it is possible to estimate the technologies that each country/region or applicant is focusing on, and to perform an analysis that takes into account the value of the invention and its international influence.

The Japan Patent Office (JPO) has analyzed Japan’s strengths and challenges in five cutting-edge technological themes that are expected to create and expand markets (perovskite solar cell-related technologies, polarizing plate-related technologies, systems using flammable refrigerants, mRNA medicine, and voice and music processing for the metaverse era) based on patent information and other sources and compiled the report.

The results of the investigation suggested the following:

Japan has the most internationally developed inventions in the fields of "Perovskite solar cell related technology" and "Systems using flammable refrigerants," indicating that these are technical fields in which Japan has strengths.

In "polarizing plate-related technology" and "systems using flammable refrigerants," Japan is ranked first in the number of internationally-developed inventions in many technology categories, indicating that these are technical fields in which Japan has strengths.

Several Japanese applicants are active in the field of "voice and music processing for the metaverse era," and the United States has a strong presence in the field of "mRNA medicine."

USPTO Reports on Initiatives to Speed ​​Up Patent Registration

The USPTO has announced that it will reduce the time it takes to grant a patent. Electronic grants (eGrants) through the USPTO's online platform, the Patent Center, will expedite patent grants.

Until now, it took about three weeks from the time the patent number was notified to the time the patent was registered, but this period is expected to be shortened to about two weeks. This will enable patent holders to receive patent protection more quickly and to recover their investment in the invention in the market.

On the other hand, the USPTO announced in its Official Gazette dated April 18, 2025 that it would abolish its pilot program for climate change minimization.

Following the issuance of the Presidential Executive Order on Climate Change in January 2021, a pilot program to provide prioritized examination for inventions that contribute to preventing climate change was launched in June 2022. The USPTO reported in 2023 that it would expand the scope of this pilot program and extend its operation period (until June 7, 2027 or until the number of applications reaches 4,000, whichever comes first).

This pilot program was suspended from January 28, 2025, following the revocation of the 2021 Executive Order that was the basis for the program by the new administration. Any applications filed after 5:00 p.m. on that day will be rejected, but applications filed before that time will continue to receive prioritized examination. Application formats related to this pilot program have been removed from the USPTO website.

The USPTO intends to use the resources gained from eliminating this pilot program to accelerate patent examination times in all technical fields, regardless of technology.

Priority review (37 CFR 1.102(e)) for very small and small entities and fee-based accelerated review will continue to be available.

Standards and Patents

The EPO has published the results of a study which shows a clear link between standards and patents. The study uses 5.5 million documents from Standards Development Organisations (SDOs) and the EPO's vast prior art database. The study, entitled Standards and the European Patent System, shows how standards documents are used in European patent examination and how frequently the resulting European patents are declared standard essential patents.

The patent system plays an important role in motivating R&D investment and the exchange of technological knowledge, and the increasing proportion of patents citing SOD standard documents demonstrates the importance of patents in technology areas that require compliance with standards.

EPO President Antonio Campinos said standards are the backbone of the digital economy, stimulating innovation and growth and ensuring seamless connectivity between different devices and platforms. He also said that a similar push for standardization is crucial for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology.

Report on the relationship between Japan's intellectual property system and the economy

The Japan Patent Office has published a survey report on the role of Japan's intellectual property system in the economy for fiscal year 2024. In recent years, expectations have been rising for the role that intellectual creative activities will play in achieving further economic growth in Japan and accelerating technological innovation, and active research and discussion has been conducted on systems that will lead to further economic growth and technological innovation brought about by intellectual property created through intellectual creative activities. Under such a changing patent system, the Japan Patent Office conducts surveys that will serve as material for consideration of industrial property rights systems and policy formulation aimed at building an intellectual property system that promotes technological innovation and its industrialization by empirically analyzing the patent application-related behavior and intellectual property strategies of domestic and foreign companies, etc., and also conducts surveys on the current state of statistical and econometric empirical analysis of intellectual property systems being conducted in other countries.

The following results were compiled for fiscal year 2024:

(1) Research on the determinants of the ripple effects of environmental inventions

(2) Analysis of the relationship between intellectual property investment and added value, etc.

(3) Research into the conditions under which inventor diversity is effective

(4) Examination to improve the compilation method of the intellectual property activity survey

(5) Survey of domestic and international econometric studies related to the intellectual property system

Newsletter translated into English

Results of 2024 Survey of Patent Application Technology Trends by Field

The Japan Patent Office conducts surveys of technology trends in patent applications by selecting technological themes that are expected to develop in the future, with a focus on fields that are expected to create new markets and fields that should be promoted as national policy.

Patent information provides the most up-to-date technical information and rights information regarding the results of research and development by companies, universities, and other organizations.

By analyzing the number of inventions in a certain technical field by nationality, region, or applicant, it is possible to surmise which technologies each country, region, or applicant is focusing on, and conduct an analysis that takes into account the value of inventions and their international influence.

The JPO has compiled a report analyzing of Japan's strengths and challenges, based on patent information, etc. regarding five cutting-edge technologies (perovskite solar cell related technology, polarizer related technology, systems using flammable refrigerants, mRNA medicine, and voice and music processing for the metaverse age) for which market creation and expansion are expected.

The results of the surveys suggested the following: Japan has the highest number of internationally developed inventions regarding “perovskite solar cell related technologies” and “systems using flammable refrigerants”, so these are technical fields in which Japan has strengths.

While there are multiple Japanese applications active in the field of “mRNA medicine”, the US is making its presence felt in this field as well as in the field of “voice and music processing for the metaverse age”.

USPTO Reports on Efforts to Accelerate Patent Registration

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has reported that it will shorten the time it takes to register patents. Patent registration will be expedited by electronic notification of patent registrations (eGrants) through the USPTO's Patent Center online platform.

Previously, it took approximately three weeks from the notification of patent number and other patent registration-related information to the actual registration. However, this period is expected to be reduced to approximately two weeks. As a result, patent holders will be able to obtain patent protection and recover the investments made in their inventions in the market.

On the other hand, the USPTO reported in its official gazette of April 18, 2025 the discontinuation of the pilot program on climate change minimization.

In response to an executive order on measures against climate change issued in January 2021, a pilot program was launched in June 2022 to provide priority examination for inventions contributing to climate change mitigation. The USPTO reported in 2023 that it would expand the scope of this pilot program and extend its operational period (until June 7, 2027, or until the number of applications reaches 4,000, whichever comes first).

This trial program was suspended from January 28, 2025, after the new administration rescinded the 2021 presidential decree on which it was based. Any requests for priority examination submitted by applicants after 5:00 pm on the day of suspension will be rejected, while priority examination will continue for applications filed before that time. The information on the format of documents for filing requests under this pilot program has been removed from the USPTO website.

The USPTO has indicated its intention to use the resources freed up by the termination of this pilot program to shorten patent examination times across all technical fields.

Note that priority examination for micro and small businesses (37 CFR 1.102(e)) and the operation of the paid acceleration examination program will continue.

Technology standards and patents

The EPO has published the results of a study showing a clear link between technology standards and patents. The study used the Standards Development Organization's (SDO) 5.5 million documents and the EPO's vast database of prior art. The study, entitled “Standards and the European patent system”, shows how standard documents are used in European patent examinations, and how often European patents that have undergoing examination are declared as standard essential patents.

The patent system plays an important role in motivating R&D investment and the exchange of technical knowledge, and the increasing percentage of patents in which SOD standard documents are cited is indicative of the importance of patents in technical fields where conformance to standards is required.

EPO President Antonio Campinos said that technology standards are the backbone of the digital economy, promote innovation and growth, and ensure seamless connectivity between various devices and platforms. He also said that a similar push for standardization is crucial for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology.

Report on Study of Relationship between Intellectual Property System and Economy in Japan

The JPO has published a survey report on the role of Japan's intellectual property system in the economy in 2024. In recent years, expectations have been growing for the role played by intellectual creation activities in achieving further economic growth in Japan and accelerating technological innovation, and there has been much research and discussion on systems that can guide further economic growth and technological innovation brought about by intellectual property created through these activities. Under the patent system which is undergoing transition, the JPO carries out empirical analysis of the patent application-related activities and intellectual property strategies of domestic and foreign companies, etc., in order to conduct surveys that serve as materials when considering industrial property systems and policy formulation for the purpose of constructing intellectual property systems that promote technological innovation and its industrialization. The JPO also studies the current status of statistical and quantitative analysis of intellectual property systems in other countries.

In 2024, the following results were compiled.

(1) Research on determinants of spillover effects of environment-related inventions

(2) Analysis of the relationship between IP investment and added value, etc.

(3) Research on conditions under which diversity of inventors is effective

(4) Verification to improve methods of compiling IP activity surveys

(5) Survey of domestic and international econometric studies related to intellectual property systems