翻訳コラム

再びTPP協定締結による新特許法の解説です。
基準日(特許出願日から5年又は審査請求日から3年経過後のいずれか遅い日)以降に特許権設定登録がされた場合は、特許になるまでに一定期間以上かかったということであるため、存続期間の延長ができます。延長される最長の期間は、基準日〜特許権設定登録日です。
しかしこの延長されるべき期間から差し引かれる期間があります。
この差し引かれる期間がいくつか規定されていますが、その2つを紹介します。

1. 明細書、図面が一部欠落している場合に補完ができます。しかしこの補完書を出願人が取下げてしまった場合は、補完書提出〜取下げの日までは控除されます。
   出願人の事情により明細書や図面が一部欠落し、これを取下げたために時間を要したからです。
2. 拒絶査定謄本送達日〜特許査定日の期間も差し引かれます。
   拒絶査定になり、これを争い特許査定に導いた期間も差し引かれます。

つまり出願人側の事情で特許になるまでの期間を長引かせた場合は、この期間を延長すべき期間から差し引かれます。

Hello again readers! Today we will again be covering the new patent laws from the TPP agreement.
As we mentioned before, if a patent right was established after the standard date (which is either 5 years after the patent's application date or 3 years after the examination request date, whichever is later) then a greater amount of time was taken to register the patent than should have been allowed, ergo the validation term of the patent may be extended. The maximum amount of time in which the patent may be extended is equal to the amount of time that passed from the standard date to the date of registration.
However, there are a number of rules that can lead to a subtraction of time from the term extension described above, and we shall cover two such rules below.

1. If there is a case where the specifications or the drawings of the patent are sub-par, then they can be supplemented. However, if the applicant decides to withdraw them the complete period of time in which the items were withdrawn must be subtracted from the patent's validation term.
   This is because the deficiency of the drawings were a result of the applicant (i.e. they were a result of the applicant's circumstances) and it took time to bring them up to par while they were withdrawn.
2. The period of time from the date in which a notice of a decision of refusal was sent to the date in which the patent was granted, this period will also be subtracted from the paten's validation term.
   This is because the patent was rejected, which lead to a dispute process, (which eventually led to the patent's validation) which in turn has to be subtracted from the patent's validation term.

Essentially, in a case where the circumstances of the applicant disrupt the patent before its validation then time can be subtracted from the patent that should have its period extended.