JPO Consolidated Examination Requests Due September 30

Since 2000, the Japanese Patent Office has offered applicants expedited, consolidated examination of applications with overlapping technical relevance. Applicants who wish to have related inventions examined together under the consolidated examination program in the 2006 fiscal year must apply to the Examination Policy Planning Section by

1. Submitting a Request for consolidated examination by e-mail before September 30th, 2005; and
2. Sending a list of relevant applications to the applicant from the JPO before December 22nd, 2005.

More information about the consolidated examination process at the JPO is available at http://www.jpo.go.jp/torikumi_e/t_torikumi_e/renkeisinsa_h18e.htm where it states that "Any person residing abroad is required to carry out examination procedures with the JPO through a patent administrator."