Interviews with examiners are a vital tool during patent
prosecution in Japan–able to make the difference between
moving toward allowance and receiving a rejection. They have not
always, however, been easily arranged for overseas applicants.
For the applicant wishing to explain directly the patentability
of their invention to an Examiner, until recently in-person
interviews conducted at the Japan Patent Office were the only
practical recourse. Under limited circumstances, the JPO allowed
video conference interviews with Examiners. Although it technically
allowed this, the JPO neither advertised nor encouraged video
conferences, and interviews could only be conducted at certain
government facilities. Perhaps seeking to redress this
inconvenience, the JPO has recently lifted the restriction
regarding location, and interviews with JPO Examiners now may be
conducted from anywhere in the world.
