異議制度("opposition to a grant of a patent")的程序重點(updated on Jul. 3, 2017):
- 任何人可於專利核准公告後6個月內提出異議。
- 異議理由(不符Art.113 of the Patent Act):
1)專利審查過程修正不符規定(Article 17-2(3)),例如修正超出原說明書與圖式內容。
2)專利權人不是與日本互惠條件或條約的國民(Article 25)。
3)專利不符新穎性、進步性規定、違反公眾秩序或善良風俗(Article 29,29-2,32)。
4)重複專利(Article 39(1) to (4))。
5)違反專利說明書能據以實施或明確的規定(Article 36(4) or (6)(excluding item (iv)))。
6)專利違反國際公約。
7)進口案專利內容與國外母案不符。
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 合併審查,若對同一件專利有兩件以上的異議案,在正常的情況下,將合併審查。
- 撤銷理由,若JPO作出撤銷決定,其中需要提出撤銷理由,並給與專利權人機會回應與更正(本國人60天回應期限,外國人有90天)。
- 異議人的書面意見,當專利權人回應有更正時("request for a correction against reasons for revocation"),會再讓異議人機會回應(可不回應)。
- 撤銷通知,在撤銷決定作出後,還會給專利權人一次回應的機會,期限如前。
- 異議決定,JPO作出異議決定,包括撤銷決定,或是維持專利的決定。
- 如果對同一件專利的"異議"與"無效"審判程序同時懸宕,無效審判程序優先。
- 若是異議更正與另一更正審判同時懸宕,將以異議更正優先。
- 在尚未接獲第一次撤銷理由前,可以撤回異議案。
- 對於第三方異議或是收到核駁理由後,修正範圍限制在:請求項的減縮、說明書誤繕修正,以及澄清不明瞭事項。
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 對於「撤銷決定」不服者(自然是指專利權人),可以上訴到「東京高等智慧財產法院」;但無法對「維持專利決定」提出上訴(異議人對此決定不得上訴,顯然不服者可以再以"無效/舉發"程序進行)。
以下流程描述日本專利公告後異議程序(updated on Jul. 3, 2017):
其中重點:
- 專利核准且經JPO公告後,任何人可提出「異議」。
- JPO先執行形式審查。
- 接著實質審查,若異議駁回,即維持專利權;若異議成立,發出專利權撤銷決定。提供專利權人回應與更正機會,也同意異議人可對此更正再回應。
- JPO再作出一次異議決定,若異議駁回,維持專利權;若作出撤銷決定,再給專利權人一次回應與更正機會。
- 最後決定:維持專利權,或撤銷專利權。
從JPO資料可知,自從2015年恢復施行(實質開始為2015年10月)公告核准後異議制度以來,到今年2月,短短1年半,已經有1578件異議案(不重複計算對同一件專利的異議案),因為可以有效取代"舉發/無效"審判程序,因此數量不小也是有理由。
從以下統計資料可知,經過異議後被撤銷的專利有一定比例,但是不高,多半仍是存留專利權,但也幾乎有一半是經過更正的,某種訊息告訴我們,日本專利局仍希望保有自己的「審查品質」而使得核准專利經過異議仍不容易被撤銷,至少「更正」是個頗為有效保留專利的方案。
(圖表來源:https://www.jpo.go.jp/torikumi_e/t_torikumi_e/status_oppositions_note_procedures.htm)
日本恢復異議制度也僅兩年,但異議案逐年上升至少看得出"頗受歡迎",理由應該也是取代冗長的無效/舉發制度的需求。
有關異議程序的費用:
補充:
英文中,專利審查時"修正"為"amendment",核准公告後的"更正"為"correction",正確反映原本的意思,所以反應異議理由的"更正"幅度很限制的:
Article 126 (1) The patentee may file a request for a trial for correction with regard to the correction of the description, scope of claims or drawings attached to the application; provided, however, that such correction shall be limited to the following:
(i) restriction of the scope of claims;
(ii) correction of errors or incorrect translations; and
(iii) clarification of an ambiguous statement.
(2) A request for a trial for correction may not be filed from the time the relevant trial for patent invalidation has become pending before the Patent Office to the time the trial decision has become final and binding; provided, however, that this shall not apply to a request for a trial for correction filed within 90 days from the day an action against the trial decision in the trial for patent invalidation is instituted (in the case of the judgment rescinding the trial decision under Article 181(1) or a ruling rescinding the trial decision under Article 181(2) concerning the case, the period after the judgment or the ruling has become final and binding shall be excluded).
(3) The correction of the description, scope of claims or drawings under paragraph (1) above shall remain within the scope of the matters disclosed in the description, scope of claims, or drawings attached to the application (in the case of correction for the purposes provided in item (ii) of the proviso to paragraph (1), the description, scope of claims and drawings originally attached to the application (in the case of a patent with regard to a foreign language written application, foreign language documents)).
(5) In the case of correction for any of the purposes as provided in item (i) or (ii) of the proviso to paragraph (1), an invention constituted by the matters described in the corrected scope of claims must be one which could have been patented independently at the time of filing of the patent application.
資料來源:
https://www.jpo.go.jp/english/ip-rights/appeals-trials/opposition.htm
本篇主要依據:
https://www.jpo.go.jp/english/ip-rights/appeals-trials/pdf/opposition/legal_matters.pdf
https://www.jpo.go.jp/english/ip-rights/appeals-trials/pdf/opposition/operation_of_system.pdf
資料參考:
http://www.brinksgilson.com/new-opposition-proceeding-in-japan
過去的筆記可參考:http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2014/10/blog-post_17.html
Ron