Addition of New Inventor to a Pending Patent Application

Q1.　What are the statutory requirements for being named as an inventor in a Japanese application?

A1.　 The statutory requirements for being named as an inventor in a Japanese application are the same as the US requirements.  Although an “inventor” is not clearly defined under the Japanese Patent Law, it is understood that an inventor is a person who actually participated in the creation of an invention, and either a mere assistant, an advisor, a person who provided financial support or a person who only gave instructions is not an inventor.

Q2.　What are the documents necessary for adding an inventor to a pending Japanese application?

A2.　 For adding a new inventor to a patent application, we need to file a Statement executed by the applicant and all inventors (Neither notarization nor legalization of the Statement is required). 

Such a Statement can be prepared at our end and forwarded for execution by the applicant and the inventors. 

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