【Research Center for the Legal System of Intellectual Property】

Activities

Industrial Property Digital Library

RC Motoki Kato

Obviously, the purpose of the patent system is to protect and publish technology as well as to accelerate the use of technology. In current Japan, in view of this purpose of the patent system, the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training established Industrial Property Digital Library and transmit information toward the rest of the world to facilitate publication and utilization of the technology.

Most people tend to think that corporations or specialists like researchers mainly use patent information. However, there may be some useful information for general public like us. So, I would like to introduce a simple way of using the Industrial Property Digital Library.

Choosing "Patent & Utility Model Search" and "3. Gazette Text Search" at the Industrial Property Digital Library （http://www.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/homepg.ipdl）will initiate the search. Then, choose "Published patent application" and "Published utility model application" for Gazette types. It seems to work well if you choose "summary" for search items.

For example, if you input a food's name for search keyword, you will find various menus. If you input "deep-fried something in bonito stock" and push the search button at the bottom left of the screen, four results will be found. Then, if you push the button of "display a list", the invention of "deep-fried savory steamed egg custard in bonito stock" is displayed. Not deep-fried something in bonito stock, but deep-fried "savory steamed egg custard" in bonito stock. I would like to try one. This invention seems to be registered as a patent.

If you input "salted cod roe spiced with red pepper" and search, "simmered shiitake mushroom with salted cod roe spiced with red pepper" will be found. It sounds delicious. If you search for "beer", jinseng Beer will be found. I wonder if it is a sort of shochu with kale juice. If you search for "pork poached with soy sauce and sugar", you will find "Kansai style sushi with pork poached with soy sauce and sugar". I think pork poached with soy sauce and sugar goes well with steaming rice more than boiled rice with vinegar.

The stated above is an easy way to use. At the Industrial Property Digital Library, you can search patent information by application number, etc. by choosing "Patent & Utility Model Search" and "2. Patent & Utility Model Document Number Search". You can also acquire information about design and trademark. The Industrial Property Digital Library is very useful for IP law researchers. In particular, if you use "IP precedents" at the Supreme Court's website （http://www.courts.go.jp/）in addition to the Industrial Property Digital Library, you can grasp the content of disputes easily and precisely.

From the viewpoint of IP law research, it would be more convenient if the site of "IP precedents" has a link between the precedents and their corresponding gazettes, etc. However, whether or not to make good progress on research will be a different problem.

※ This column talks about Japanese site. The Industrial Property Digital Library has an English site. Please visit the site if you have any interest.
http://www.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/homepg_e.ipdl