table of contents
Design gazette
What is a design gazette?
A design gazette is a gazette that is published approximately two weeks after the registration of establishment of a design right. By issuing this gazette, the registered design will be made available to the public.
What is stated in the design gazette is:
- Name and address of design right holder
- Application number and filing date
- Registration number and registration date
- Application form (*) and drawings attached to the application form
*In the application form, "Article to the design", "Name and address of the creator", "Description of the article to the design", and "Explanation of the design" are displayed for each item. It is written so that you can understand what kind of product it is.
However, if the secret design system is used, the application and the drawings attached to the application will be made public after the secrecy period has passed. In other words, the registered product and its form will not be made public until the secrecy period has passed.
Regarding publication of design gazettes
Since there is no publication gazette for designs, if the application is withdrawn or rejected, it will not be published.
However, for designs that have received a consultation order from the Japan Patent Office after filing, but are rejected due to failure of consultation, a Design Application Bulletin with Failure of Negotiation will be published.
How to search for design publications
Similar to patents, utility models, and trademarks, design gazettes can be accessed on J-PlatPat (patent information platform) provided by INPIT (Independent Administrative Institution Industrial Property Information and Training Center) to find design registration numbers and design right holders. You can get it by typing and searching. J-platPat can also be accessed from the site map of the Japan Patent Office homepage.
When a list of search results is displayed, click the link for the design registration number for which you want to display the publication, and the publication information for that number will be displayed.
Please note that the representative drawings displayed in the J-PlatPat search results are arbitrarily selected from the drawings attached to the application, and the applicant cannot specify the representative drawings.
About design gazette items
Examples of major items in design gazettes are as follows.

- [Application date]…This is the date on which the design application was filed, and is the reference date for determining novelty and difficulty in creation.
- [Registration date]…This is the date of establishment registration of the design right, and is the reference date for calculating the deadline for paying the pension for maintaining the right.
- [Articles related to designs]…Articles that are subject to protection will be listed.
- [Design classification]...This is a classification of items etc. by their uses, and lists the classification codes assigned by the Japan Patent Office.
- [International Design Classification]: This is a classification established based on the Locarno Agreement administered by WIPO, and lists the codes assigned by the Japan Patent Office.
- [Design registration number of related design] or [Design registration number of basic design]...The design registration number to which the main design and related designs are related at the time of publication of the gazette will be listed.
- [Display of exceptions to loss of novelty] Posted when exceptions to loss of novelty apply.
- [Description of the article to which the design pertains]… The purpose and method of use of the article to which the design pertains are stated (if the article to which the design pertains is a general article, the description in the application may be omitted, and therefore it may not be published in the gazette). For images and architectural designs, the description of the use is mandatory.
- [Explanation of the design]...Explanation of cases where part or all of the design is transparent, the shape changes, the size needs to be stated, a part of the figure is omitted, and the description of the case where the partial design Information on how to identify the part for which you are seeking registration will be posted. (If the application does not contain a description of the design, it will not be published.)
*For more information on [Design Classification] and [International Design Classification] here.
Other precautions
The design gazette contains information as of the time of publication.
Therefore, it is important to note that if a related design is established or rights are transferred after the publication of the gazette, this will not be reflected in the gazette. Designs set as related designs after publication of the gazette will not be reflected in the design gazette. You can check the latest information on the relationship between the main design and related designs on J-PlatPat (patent information platform).