Short-term fellowship training in Tokyo

March 23, 2016

At the invitation of the WIPO Japan Office (WJO) and in cooperation with Shiga International Patent Office, Mr. Saifullah Khan from Pakistan participated in WIPO’s short-term fellowship training under the Japan Funds-in-Trust arrangement. Mr. Khan’s training focused on Japanese patent law, examination, prior art search, intellectual property (IP) litigation, licensing and technology transfer, and the international IP systems such as the PCT and Madrid System.

Practical experience

This training fellowship was organized with the aim to provide nationals of ASEAN or SAARC countries, who are also graduates of IP LL.M. programs from WIPO partner institutions (the University of Turin or Queensland University of Technology), with an opportunity to complement their studies through practical experience in IP-related matters by working at a host IP office in Japan. This helps them not only acquire classroom knowledge, but also skills and insights into the real world of IP. Through their time at the host institutions, trainees achieve a better understanding of an IP office’s core business operations and the services the office provides to meet the needs of IP owners. They also receive hands-on experience in working with actual IP applications, registrations, or litigation cases through assisting in IP research and the drafting of opinions, letters, and other documents.

Worldwide reach

Mr. Khan was the fourth trainee in this program and, like the others before him, was selected following a competition. Previous trainees came from Nepal, Malaysia, and Thailand and were placed at major IP offices in Japan, including Seiwa International Patent Office, Asamura Patent Office, and Hiraki International Patent Office.

Through his training, Mr. Khan was able to:

broaden his knowledge,
gain practical experience, and
learn more about how to effectively draft patent claims and amendments.

He expressed his belief that he will be able to apply this experience to his work at the IP Office in Pakistan in areas such as the development of future policy changes, increasing IP awareness, and providing improved guidance and support to IP stakeholders.

Participants at the training — Mr. Saifullah Khan upon completion of his training with Mr. Yo Takagi of WIPO (second from left), Mr. Yuji Okuma of the WIPO Japan Office (far left), and Mr. Yasu Murayama (far right) of Shiga International Patent Office. (Photo: WIPO)