EPFL Japan Technology Transfer

Patents: Japan-Europe

Dr. Marcel Sonderegger

EPFL Japan Technology Transfer

Index

• Patents– Japanese patents compared to

European patents– How to get a Japanese Patent– Case studies

• Technology transfer– Find a Japanese Partner– Contract – case study– Academic interchange

EPFL Japan Technology Transfer

Goal of patents

• Not glory but money making – Protection from competitors– Marketing purposes

EPFL Japan Technology Transfer

What does this mean?

• A patent itself has no value, if you are not able to defend it, either in court or by other means.

• Before you apply for a patent in Japan get somebody who can defend you in case of infringements.

EPFL Japan Technology Transfer

Ideas

(some work others don’t) Device, that works in the end

Main claim

Concept Japan-Europe

Subclaims

EPFL Japan Technology Transfer

Philosophy

• Japan:– Only one detail– Few claims

(historically only one)

– Few pages– Lots of patent

application (Japan is number 1 in applications per inhabitant)

• Europe, USA– Only the general

idea is patentable– Large documents– Less patents

EPFL Japan Technology Transfer

Databases

• Europe: www.espacenet.ch • USA: www.uspto.gov• Japan: www.espacenet.ch (English

guidance)

EPFL Japan Technology Transfer

Technology Transfer

• A reference: www.japio.or.jp