Business Model Patent in Japan

Zen International Patents and Trademarks

Since the late 1990s, business model patents including Amazon's one-click patent attracted attention.

Similarly in Japan, many patent applications related to business models were made in the early 2000s.

However, the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) did not have clear definition and Examination Guidlines for business model patent at that time, so confusion occurred in the patent examination.

After that, various discussions were made, JPO defined business model patents in Japan as devices and methods that realize business using Information Technology (IT).
In addition, JPO made Examination Guidlines for business model patent.

Since this Examination Guidlines was made after patent application, most of the patent applications filed in Japan in the early 2000s were not patented because they did not use IT.

If you are trying to file a patent related to business models in Japan, it would be better to first consider whether it conforms to the definition of a business model patent in Japan.

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