May 2019 : The Revision of The JPO’s Examination Guidelines relating to Designs
Please be informed that the JPO’s Examination Guidelines relating to Designs were revised in May 2019, the contents of which are as follows:
1 . Abolished requirements of “a set of drawings”
By this revision, it is no longer compulsory to submit six drawings. However, a part which is not shown in the drawings shall be treated as disclaimed part in the examination unless it is stated in the application that the part is omitted since it is identical with or symmetric to other views.
Even in a partial design application, it is still possible to submit a set of six drawings as before.
2 . Approval to showing unclaimed objects in drawings
This revision has made it possible to show unclaimed objects (e.g. a torso represented in a design application for “necklace”) in required drawings as well.
3 . Similarity determination between whole design and partial design
Following the revision, similarity determination shall be made between whole design and partial design as well as between whole designs (whole design and another whole design), or partial designs (partial design and another partial design). Accordingly, whole design and partial design may also be designated as original design and related design, respectively.
Incidentally, the revision of the Design Law is scheduled to be enforced in 2020, in which the Japanese Design System shall be substantially changed. We will also keep you updated with further information of the revision of the Design Law.