La The Japan Patent Office (JPO) has announced that it will introduce a new fee system which reduces the associated fees by 50% to 66% for examination and renewal fees (from 1st to 10th) The new system will apply to:

1) Research and development entities including Universities (50% discount)

2) Small entities (50% discount). The requirements differ depending on the number of employees, the amount of capital and the industry in question.

3) Micro entities for companies from 5 to 20 employees or individuals (66% discount)

4) Venture-type small entities with less than 10 years from the date of starting business (66% discount)

The discounts will apply to patent applications for which substantive examination is requested on or after April 1, 2019