First Design Patent Registration for Architectural Works – Japan

Architectural works including buildings, stadiums, bridges, antenna towers, and other artificial constructions become eligible for design patents since the Japanese Design Patent Act Reform came into effect on April 1, 2020.  The Japan Patent Office (JPO) recently announced that four design patents for architectural works – a commercial building, a train station building, an interior of book store, and an interior of belt conveyer sushi restaurant – have been registered for the first time ever.   See METI’s website.

We are happy to assist you to obtain design patents as well as utility patents.  If you have any question regarding the Japanese law and practice, feel free to contact us.