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ARTICLE · 23 MAY 2026

Japan Patent Office Publishes Its Yearly Status Report For 2026

Jones Day
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The Japan Patent Office's 2026 Status Report reveals a significant 17% surge in patent applications driven by an unusual December filing spike, while registration rates and examination timelines remain stable.

JapanIntellectual Property
Michiru Takahashi
Michiru Takahashi
Shogo Asaji
Shogo Asaji
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In Short

The Situation: On March 23, the Japan Patent Office ("JPO") published its JPO Status Report 2026 ("2026 Report"). The yearly status reports provide comprehensive statistical data and policy updates in both English and Japanese regarding intellectual property in Japan. This Commentary offers highlights from the report that pertain to patent applications, trademark applications, invalidation trials, and oppositions.

The Result: Except for a noticeable uptick in the number of patent applications, there have been no major changes from the previous year with respect to filings, registration, time to first action of patent and trademark applications, or the number of invalidation trials and oppositions. The success rates for invalidation trials and oppositions continue to be relatively low.

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