A Japanese patent attorney (benrishi) is an attorney who has a qualification for representing clients in obtaining intellectual property rights such as patents and in procedures relating to patent law and practice before the Japan Patent Office (JPO). Registration as a patent attorney in Japan is administered by the JPAA (Japan Patent Attorneys Association).
A party who does not have residence or business basis in Japan needs to appoint a Japanese patent attorney as its representative for applications for patent, trademark, utility model, and industrial design.
To become a patent attorney in Japan, one must pass the Patent Attorney Examination. The Patent Attorney Examination consists of three formats:
- Short-answer examination
- Essay examination (required subjects and elective subjects)
- Oral examination
The examination is conducted once a year, and upon passing the short-answer examination, candidates proceed to the essay examination, and then the oral examination.
(Updated on February 19, 2024)
The pass rate for the Patent Attorney Examination has remained very low in recent years, typically ranging from 6% to 10%. Following deliberations by the Industrial Property Examination Committee Examination Subcommittee held on November 8, 2023, the pass list for the 2023 Patent Attorney Examination was determined, and the successful candidates were announced on November 9, 2023. Out of 3,065 examinees from a total of 3,417 applicants, only 188 passed, resulting in a pass rate of 6.1%.
