7.1.2 Japan Patent Office
The JPO was first established in 1885. Korekiyo Takahashi was its first Director General and was also instrumental in the development of the Patent Monopoly Act of 1885.8 By 1886, the JPO had received 1,384 applications and granted 205 patents. In 1968, Japan became the country with the highest number of patent and utility model applications filed per year – a position it held until 2005.9 When Japan acceded to the PCT in 1978, the JPO became an international searching authority under the PCT.10 The JPO is now one of the world’s largest patent offices, and its examination departments and Trial and Appeal department (TAD) are organized across a wide range of technical fields.11